6 2015 NFL Draft Picks Who Could Be Opening-Game Starters for Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns have 10 picks in the 2015 NFL draft and nearly as many roster vacancies to fill, many of them starting spots. Though it's not common for a team to field a significant number of rookies in their first year in the NFL, sometimes circumstances force the league's greenest players to become instant contributors.

Sometimes circumstances are such that rookies take up starting roles for their new teams. The Browns look likely to be one of these teams this year, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as long as they select the right players to fill these roles.

Here are six players the Browns could draft in 2015 who could be starters by the time Week 1 rolls around.

NT Danny Shelton

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The Browns have moved Phil Taylor from defensive end, where he played last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, to nose tackle, his natural position. While Taylor may be an upgrade over 2014's nose tackle, Ahtyba Rubin, he may not be considered an upgrade over some of this draft class' biggest nose tackle prospects.

Washington's Danny Shelton could be a player the Browns turn to in Round 1 to help build out the nose tackle position to where they want it. Shelton has 208 combined career tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks, with 93 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2014.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein calls Shelton a "space-eater who is able to maintain good positioning against double teams," and who has "surprising ability to swat cut blocks and chase stretch plays laterally." Zierlein also notes that Shelton, "produced eye-catching sack numbers for his position in 2014, but much of it was against lesser competition." That, however, won't matter to the Browns.

Cleveland needs to improve their defensive line for one reason—they have been terrible at stopping the run, not just in 2014, but for a whole decade. Shelton's "strength and athleticism to dominate in the running game," is what they'd be drafting him for, and why he'd work his way into the team's starting lineup by Week 1.

WR Amari Cooper

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The Browns may not be able to secure the services of Alabama wideout Amari Cooper without moving up to get him. But regardless of where he may land in the 2015 draft, there's no doubt that Cooper would step in and be a Day 1 starter for the Browns if they have the opportunity to pick him up.

Cooper totaled 228 collegiate receptions for 3,463 yards and 31 touchdowns and averaged 15.2 yards per reception. He had 124 catches in 2014 for 1,721 yards and 16 scores—the most receptions on the year in the NCAA, along with the second-most receiving yards and touchdowns.

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler and Rob Rang praise Cooper's "excellent quickness and balance to get a clean release against press coverage and to make defenders miss in space," and his ability to "[generate] the burst to gain separation from top cornerbacks." 

Though Cooper has had a few concerning dropped passes in his career, Rang and Brugler are hard-pressed to find weaknesses in his game, saying "some prospects have both the resume and the skill-set that are equally as impressive to scouts. And Cooper would fall into that category."

With strong route running, an uncanny ability to catch the football and good blocking, Cooper certainly should be one of the Browns' top targets this year. Granted, it may be difficult, if not impossible, for them to draft him. But if Cleveland can pull it off, most likely via a trade up, Cooper would be an instant starter.

LB Shane Ray

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Pass rush is an area of concern for the Browns this year, and not just because they lost linebacker Jabaal Sheard in free agency. The Browns defense generated only 31 sacks last season—a disappointing number considering how head coach Mike Pettine and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil prize their defense's ability to get to opposing quarterbacks.

Therefore, Missouri linebacker Shane Ray could be an option for the Browns in Round 1. Ray recorded 120 career combined tackles, 34 tackles for loss and 19 sacks in three seasons, with 65 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in 2014, earning him SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

An "explosive athlete in every sense," according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Ray "rushes [the] passer with extreme passion and purpose." He has "natural coordination of head fakes, footwork and hand usage in pass rush," and has the "rare ability to post inside leg and get his body turned sharply and quickly around it toward quarterback."

Ultimately, Zierlein concludes that Ray, "has the traits and skills to be a dominant pass rusher and potential Pro Bowler." Those words are certainly music to Pettine's ears as a coach who covets aggressive outside linebackers like Ray. Given Ray's pro-readiness, there's no doubt he'd be a Week 1 starter for Cleveland should they take him.

WR DeVante Parker

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While Alabama receiver Amari Cooper may be out of the Browns' reach when they make either of their two first-round picks in this year's draft, Louisville's DeVante Parker should still be on the board and available to the Browns should they want him—and they should.

Parker totaled 156 career collegiate receptions for 2,775 yards and 33 touchdowns. Though he missed seven games in 2014 thanks to a foot injury that required surgery, he still caught 43 passes on the year for 855 yards and five scores while averaging 19.9 yards per reception. For his career, he averaged a touchdown on every 4.7 catches.

That touchdown rate makes him especially desirable to the Browns, who totaled only 12 passing scores in 2014. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler also notes that Parker, "tracks the football and extends well to attack with a large wingspan and natural body control," has "above average vertical with the leaping ability to hang in the air" and has "crisp footwork" in his routes.

He has "room to improve his footwork off the line to beat press and get into his routes" and needs to get better as a blocker and "iron out some wrinkles in his game." However, Parker "is [a] long-striding athlete with better catch-and-go creativity and toughness than expected, using his wingspan and natural length to play above the rim."

That ability to catch contested passes and create yards after the catch will be a boon to whichever quarterback the Browns choose to go with under center this year. This will also make him a valuable receiving weapon from Week 1 on.

NT Jordan Phillips

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If the Browns want to upgrade the nose tackle position this year, they don't necessarily have to do so in Round 1. Round 2 could present the opportunity for the Browns to take Oklahoma's Jordan Phillips, allowing them to address other, more urgent positions like wideout or pass-rusher in Round 1.

In three seasons at Oklahoma, Phillips totaled 58 combined tackles and nine tackles for loss. He had 39 combined tackles and seven tackles for loss in 2014.

"He has the body type and length to play in a 3-4 or 4-3 front, but there is no reason to move him from the nose," said one AFC North scout who spoke with NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. Given that Zierlein says that Phillips has a "massive frame with long arms," who has the "ability to eat space and free linebackers" and "split double teams," and it's clear why the scout would say such a thing.

Though "not effective as pass rusher," a main reason why he could fall to Round 2, Phillips is the type of massive, run-stuffing nose tackle that the Browns sorely need. If they draft him, Phillips would easily push Phil Taylor for starting snaps at nose tackle immediately.

LB Alvin "Bud" Dupree

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In Mike Pettine and Jim O'Neil's defensive front, players are often used situationally and rotationally. Though that mostly applies to the defensive line, it could also come into play with the linebacking corps this year as they try to find the right combination of pass rushing and run stopping to lead to overall improvement on the defensive front.

A situational pass-rusher that could intrigue the Browns this year is Kentucky's Bud Dupree. Dupree has 247 career combined tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 23.5 sacks. He totaled 74 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2014.

CBS Sports' Rob Rang describes Dupree as a "productive pass rusher whose success stems from his physical gifts and technique." His "long arms" and "quick burst" not only help him get after the quarterback, but he also has the "flexibility to turn the corner and an explosive burst to close when the ballcarrier is near" as a run defender.

Given that Dupree has upside against the run and constantly improving pass-rush skills, there should be a place for him in the Browns' starting lineup come Week 1. It's possible, given his skill set, that Dupree could be moved around based on down, distance and defensive formation.