Cleveland Browns Mock Draft: B/R Community Top 100 and 7-Round Results

To prepare for the 2015 NFL draft, Bleacher Report's draft correspondents participated in a mock draft, with the analysts playing the role of general manager for their respective team. 

The community mock draft lasted through the first 100 picks, at which point all correspondents filled out the remaining picks for their team based on reasonable guesses as to who may be available in each round on Day 3 of the draft. 

Before we get to the picks, I'll lay out my strategy for the draft while playing the role of the Cleveland Browns' general manager. 

Priority No. 1: Find a starting receiver

This felt like an absolute must, and it was a position I intended to address at all costs in the first or second round of the draft—even if it required a slight reach. 

Dwayne Bowe is a serviceable starter, and he's supported by a stable of quality third or fourth receivers. But the team needs another strong outside receiver—ideally one with the size and speed to stretch the field. 

Priority No. 2: Land two immediate starters in the first round

This sounds obvious, but in a relatively weak draft class, many teams will come away with players unable to play significant roles in their rookie year. 

While the Browns have some obvious needs, which I'll address next, I wasn't willing to reach to fill a need if that player would be unable to help immediately. In other words, I planned on favoring immediate value and NFL readiness over long-term upside.

Priority No. 3: Try to address the offensive and defensive line on Day 1 or 2

This wasn't an "at all costs" priority, but it was something I wanted to keep in mind. If given the choice between two players with similar value, I would favor the lineman. 

With Mitchell Schwartz and Phil Taylor set to become free agents next offseason, I wanted to be able to find players who could conceivably step into their starting roles by the start of the 2016 season. 

Round 1

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Buccaneers	Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State
2	Titans	Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
3	Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr.	DE	Florida
4	Raiders	Leonard Williams	DT	USC
5	Redskins	Brandon Scherff	OL	Iowa
6	Jets	Vic Beasley	OLB	Clemson
7	Bears	Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama
8	Falcons	Bud Dupree	DE	Kentucky
9	Giants	Kevin White	WR	West Virginia
10	Rams	Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford
11	Vikings	Marcus Peters	CB	Washington
12	Browns	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville
13	Saints	Shane Ray	DE	Missouri
14	Dolphins	La'el Collins	OL	LSU
15	49ers	Trae Waynes	CB	Michigan State
16	Texans	Breshad Perriman	WR	UCF
17	Chargers	Danny Shelton	DT	Washington
18	Chiefs	Randy Gregory	LB	Nebraska
19	Browns	Todd Gurley	RB	Georgia
20	Eagles	Jake Fisher	OL	Oregon
21	Bengals	Landon Collins	S	Alabama
22	Steelers	Kevin Johnson	CB	Wake Forest
23	Lions	Malcom Brown	DT	Texas
24	Cardinals	Cameron Erving	OC	Florida State
25	Panthers	Ereck Flowers	OT	Miami (Fla.)
26	Ravens	Jaelen Strong	WR	Arizona State
27	Cowboys	Byron Jones	CB	Connecticut
28	Broncos	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Pittsburgh
29	Colts	Arik Armstead	DE	Oregon
30	Packers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa	OLB	UCLA
31	Saints	Eric Kendricks	LB	UCLA
32	Patriots	Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin

No. 12: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

Given the Browns' need for a receiver, this felt like an obvious selection at No. 12.

While others such as Breshad Perriman and Jaelen Strong may have been available at No. 19, Parker is one of only three receivers in this class with the size (6'3", 209 lbs) and skill set to immediately win on the outside in the NFL.

Some degree of development is obviously needed, but the Browns can confidently plug Parker into a starting role and expect immediate production. 

While Dwayne Bowe offers value as a possession receiver on one side and Brian Hartline, Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins will complete for playing time in the slot, Parker would become the only receiver on the roster with both the size and speed (4.45 40-yard dash) to stretch the field consistently.

No. 19: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

This is an outside-the-box selection because the Browns obviously aren't entering this draft dead set on landing a running back. The duo of Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell showed some promise last season, and they'll likely be back on the field together in 2015. 

That said, it's unreasonable to think the team hasn't discussed the option of selecting a talent like Gurley at No. 19. 

Concerns about Gurley's health have been eased since his medical recheck at the combine, putting him in a strong position to land in the upper half of the first round. 

While the Browns do have needs to address, every franchise must stay true to its board and take the best player available when he's there. Given the relatively shallow pool of legitimate first-round prospects in this class, I simply couldn't justify passing over a talent like Gurley in favor of a lesser prospect who fills a need.

Round 2

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
33	Titans	Jalen Collins	CB	LSU
34	Buccaneers	Ty Sambrailo	OL	Colorado State
35	Raiders	Nelson Agholor	WR	USC
36	Jaguars	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Oklahoma
37	Jets	Laken Tomlinson	OG	Duke
38	Redskins	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Nebraska
39	Bears	Eli Harold	OLB	Virginia
40	Giants	Damarious Randall	S	Arizona State
41	Rams	D.J. Humphries	OL	Florida
42	Falcons	Eric Rowe	S	Utah
43	Browns	Donovan Smith	OT	Penn State
44	Saints	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Miami (Fla.)
45	Vikings	Stephone Anthony	LB	Clemson
46	49ers	Preston Smith	DE	Mississippi State
47	Dolphins	Devin Funchess	WR/TE	Michigan
48	Chargers	Tevin Coleman	RB	Indiana
49	Chiefs	Eddie Goldman	DL	Florida State
50	Bills	A.J. Cann	OG	South Carolina
51	Texans	Benardrick McKinney	OLB	Mississippi State
52	Eagles	Devin Smith	WR	Ohio State
53	Bengals	Maxx Williams	TE	Minnesota
54	Lions	Duke Johnson	RB	Miami (Fla.)
55	Cardinals	Ronald Darby	CB	Florida State
56	Steelers	Nate Orchard	DE/LB	Utah
57	Panthers	Jay Ajayi	RB	Boise State
58	Ravens	Clive Walford	TE	Miami (Fla.)
59	Broncos	Grady Jarrett	DT	Clemson
60	Cowboys	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Alabama
61	Colts	Paul Dawson	LB	TCU
62	Packers	P.J. Williams	CB	Florida State
63	Seahawks	Carl Davis	DL	Iowa
64	Patriots	Tre' Jackson	OG	Florida State

No. 43: Donovan Smith, OL, Penn State

This is probably a pick for the future, as the Browns wouldn't hand Smith a starting job right out of the gate. They would give Smith an opportunity to compete with Mitchell Schwartz for the right tackle job, but he may have to wait until the 2016 season to take over after the Browns let Schwartz walk as a free agent.

Smith is a mauler as a run-blocker, which would be an especially valuable addition if the team does add Gurley in the first round. 

There are some concerns about his athleticism as a tackle, but the Browns would have the long-term option to slide him to guard in a year or two when they're forced to move on from 30-year-old John Greco.

While Smith hasn't received the predraft attention of some of the more athletic tackles in this class, his physical, powerful style should fit nicely with the Browns offensive line.

Round 3

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
65	Buccaneers	Rashad Greene	WR	Florida State
66	Titans	Cedric Ogbuehi	OT	Texas A&M
67	Jaguars	Jeremy Langford	RB	Michigan State
68	Raiders	Ali Marpet	OG	Hobart College
69	Redskins	Danielle Hunter	DE	LSU
70	Jets	Tre McBride	WR	William & Mary
71	Bears	Jaquiski Tartt	S	Samford
72	Rams	Sammie Coates	WR	Auburn
73	Falcons	Mitch Morse	OG	Missouri
74	Giants	Rob Havenstein	OT	Wisconsin
75	Saints	D'Joun Smith	CB	Florida Atlantic
76	Vikings	Shaq Thompson	OLB	Washington
77	Browns	Jordan Phillips	DT	Oklahoma
78	Saints	John Miller	OG	Louisville
79	49ers	Denzel Perryman	ILB	Miami (Fla.)
80	Chiefs	Tyler Lockett	WR	Kansas State
81	Bills	Bryce Petty	QB	Baylor
82	Texans	Doran Grant	CB	Ohio State
83	Chargers	Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	Washington
84	Eagles	Quinten Rollins	CB	Miami (Ohio)
85	Bengals	Za'Darius Smith	DE	Kentucky
86	Cardinals	David Cobb	RB	Minnesota
87	Steelers	Jeff Heuerman	TE	Ohio State
88	Lions	Josh Shaw	CB	USC
89	Panthers	Michael Bennett	DT	Ohio State
90	Ravens	Derron Smith	SS	Fresno State
91	Cowboys	Trey Flowers	DE	Arkansas
92	Broncos	Henry Anderson	DE	Stanford
93	Colts	Mike Davis	RB	South Carolina
94	Packers	Brett Hundley	QB	UCLA
95	Seahawks	Alex Carter	CB	Stanford
96	Patriots	Kenny Bell	WR	Nebraska
97	Patriots	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
98	Chiefs	Senquez Golson	CB	Ole Miss
99	Bengals	Steven Nelson	CB	Oregon State
*100	Titans	Nick O'Leary	TE	Florida State

 *First pick of Round 4.

No. 77: Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma

My third-round strategy was to take the best available player, but the defensive line remained a position I had hoped to target. Fortunately, Phillips fell, which allowed me to address a need while still landing one of the best overall players on the board. 

Phillips' best asset is his size (6'5", 329 lbs), and it's why he's been discussed as a possible first-round target for some teams. Unfortunately, it may be his only meaningful asset, which led to his slide in this mock draft. 

For the Browns, Phillips is worth the third-round selection even if he does have some limitations. There remain concerns about Phil Taylor's health, as he battled knee injuries throughout the 2014 season, and Phillips would provide some immediate depth at nose tackle. 

Additionally, Taylor is set to hit the free-agent market after this season, giving the Browns a year to test Phillips out and determine if he has a future as a starter. If yes, they can use an early-round pick in 2016 to address other issues. If no, they can simply keep Phillips around as a low-cost backup. 

Round 4

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

No. 111: Lorenzo Mauldin, LB, Louisville

Mauldin was a consistent playmaker at Louisville and one of the most productive pass-rushers in the nation in 2014. However, concerns about his athleticism could lead to a draft-day slide as it did in our community mock draft. 

The Browns have reason to feel confident in Barkevious Mingo and Paul Kruger at outside linebacker, but the depth is lacking. Entering the draft, Scott Solomon is their only backup outside linebacker who saw playing time at the position a season ago.

Even if Mauldin's athleticism limits his ability to ever win a starting role, he brings a valuable skill set to the table as a situational pass-rusher.

No. 115: Ben Heeney, LB, Kansas

Inside linebacker was another position I hoped to target in this draft. However, I went into the draft understanding that with limited options it was likely the need would be pushed until Day 3. 

Heeney is undersized at just 6'0" and 231 pounds, but given the Browns' interest in Christian Kirksey and Craig Robertson in recent years, they're likely to overlook size limitations. 

Robertson is likely to enter the season as the starter next Karlos Dansby, but Heeney would provide some added competition and depth.

Round 5

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

No. 147: Darren Waller, WR, Georgia Tech

To hit home runs late in the draft you have to take some risks. 

Waller was suspended multiple times in college for violations of team rules and had only 51 career receptions at Georgia Tech. He's been a late bloomer, and the off-field questions certainly don't make you any more confident in his ability to put it together at the next level.

That said, there's very little risk involved in selecting him in the fifth round, and there are only so many prospects in every class who bring his size to the table (6'6", 238 lbs). 

Cleveland should set rookie-year expectations extremely low for Waller, but the upside makes him well worth the late-round gamble.

Round 6

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No. 189: Kristjan Sokoli, DE, Buffalo

Sokoli, who was born in Albania before moving to New Jersey as a kid, is one of my favorite sleepers in this draft class. 

He was forced to play nose tackle in Buffalo's defensive scheme as a senior but is among the most impressive athletes in this year's class of interior linemen. 

At 6'5", 290 pounds, Sokoli is better suited to play end in the Browns' 3-4 scheme, and he is a candidate to emerge as a better pro than college player once he lands in a more favorable position for his skill set in the NFL. 

The Browns defensive line is deep with names fans recognize, but the lack of production means everyone will be fighting for jobs in training camp. Sokoli would have an opportunity to win a spot. 

No. 202: Nick Boyle, Delaware

If the Browns don't land a tight end on Day 1 or 2, there likely won't be any meaningful help coming to the position from this draft class. But it's still worth taking a late gamble on a prospect.

Boyle has the size (6'4", 268 lbs) to emerge as a decent possession receiver. His blocking skills leave something to be desired—especially considering his potential given his size—but at least there's room for growth in that area. 

Browns fans should consider him a younger version of Gary Barnidge.

Round 7

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No. 229: Kyle Brindza, K, Notre Dame

By the time the Browns reach their 10th pick of the draft, it's tough to find a position where a prospect even has a chance of sneaking onto the 53-man roster.

With Garrett Hartley and Casey Spear as the only kickers on the roster, the Browns might as well spend one of their late picks to ensure they land one of the top kickers in this class. 

Brindza had some struggles in 2014 (just 14-of-24 on field-goal attempts). But he's shown a strong leg on kickoffs with a 64 percent touchback rate as senior, and he's drilled four of six career attempts from beyond 50 yards.

Additionally, having played at Notre Dame, he has experience kicking in the elements, which may interest the Browns.