2015 NFL Draft: Best Fits for Browns to Replace Josh Gordon

The Cleveland Browns are once again in the market for a wide receiver in the 2015 NFL draft. 

Pro Bowl-caliber wideout Josh Gordon is expected to be suspended for the entire 2015 season, and his career in Cleveland could be over due to his extensive off-field issues. 

As a result, the Browns are left scrambling to rebuild a receiving corps which was one of the league's worst without Gordon in the lineup in 2014. 

In their 12 games without Gordon a season ago, Andrew Hawkins was Brian Hoyer's go-to receiver, leading the team with 79 targets in those games, according to Pro Football Focus. However, Hawkins was also their primary slot receiver, leaving gaps on the outside for the Browns to fill in Gordon's absence in 2015. 

The following slideshow features five wide receivers the Browns should target entering the 2015 NFL draft. 

These five prospects aren't necessarily the top five receivers in the draft class but rather a mix of players who specifically fit what the Browns need (an outside receiver who can stretch the field) and will potentially be available while the Browns are on the clock within the first two days of the draft. 

Rashad Greene, Florida State

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Rashad Greene lacks Gordon's size (Greene was 5'11", 182 pounds at the combine), so he isn't a perfect fit as Gordon's replacement (6'3", 225 lbs). However, if the Browns can't land a receiver in the first round, Greene would be a ideal target on Day 2 to help replace Gordon's production. 

During Gordon's four games in 2014, Browns quarterbacks targeted him on passes at least 20 yards down the field 10 times. All other Browns wide receivers were targeted just 12 times combined during that span. 

Losing Gordon significantly diminishes the Browns' ability to stretch the field, which is where Greene could help out. 

Greene has the speed to stretch the field (4.53 40-yard dash) but also has the polished route-running skills to create separation on short and intermediate routes. 

As a receiver with experience in both the slot and on the outside, he would be a versatile weapon for the Browns to add to their receiving corps. 

Jaelen Strong, Arizona State

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Jaelen Strong is a possibility for the Browns with the 19th pick or potentially even in the early second round if he were to fall to the second day of the draft. 

While Strong isn't as polished as some of the higher-rated receivers in this class, he would give the Browns a player to develop as Gordon's long-term replacement. 

Strong compares to Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery, both in terms of his overall tools and where he stands in his development as he enters the draft. 

Like Jeffery as a rookie out of South Carolina, Strong will be capable of making some plays in traffic based on his size (6'2", 217 lbs) and strength. However, Strong also struggles to create consistent separation and will need a year or so to develop his route-running skills. 

Jeffery was a role player who showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, and it would be fair to expect a similar rookie year from Strong. 

DeVante Parker, Louisville

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If the Browns take a receiver with the 12th selection in the draft, DeVante Parker is likely their guy. 

The consensus top two receivers (Amari Cooper and Kevin White) are likely to be off the board within the first 10 picks, leaving Parker as the next-best option on the board. 

If he's on the board at No. 12 (and there's certainly no guarantee he will be), the Browns should waste no time bringing him in and immediately plugging him into Gordon's slot in the lineup. 

Parker doesn't quite have the same ability to play a physical style of football as Gordon—he's nearly 20 pounds lighter (209 lbs)—but he does have the height (6'3") and leaping ability (36 ½-inch vertical) to make plays in traffic down the field. 

Additionally, Parker possesses impressive smooth speed (4.45 40-yard dash) to create separation over the top of the defense. 

While his intermediate routes need to be developed, he will make an immediate impact as a deep threat. 

Amari Cooper, Alabama

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Due to Amari Cooper's lack of elite size (6'1", 211 pounds at the combine) he isn't quite built in the same mold as Gordon.

Gordon is a unique talent due to his ability to stretch the field but also in the way he can battle for 50-50 balls. Cooper, however, lacks the size, hands (10") and physical style of play to be as effective when he doesn't have separation. 

Cooper still fits in Cleveland because great receivers can fit anywhere, but it's important for Browns fans to recognize that his role would be different than Gordon's. 

The standout receiver from Alabama relies more on his routes and explosiveness to create separation, and he is more effective on short and intermediate routes as a result. 

Despite the differences, Cooper is a safe bet to be the most productive rookie receiver from this draft class. 

Kevin White, West Virginia

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In terms of the physical profile, Kevin White (6'3", 215 lbs) is nearly a clone of Gordon. 

Both receivers have the height to win the battle for contested catches but also have the speed to stretch the field. It's that combination that made Gordon so dangerous whenever he was on the field for the Browns. 

With nearly identical size and speed, the Browns could plug White (4.35 40-yard dash) into Gordon's slot and expect only a limited drop-off in production. 

The difficulty here is getting their hands on White. 

He's highly unlikely to be on the board at No. 12. But with extra picks in the first and fourth rounds, the Browns have the ability to move up for White if he sits atop their draft board.