Cleveland Browns Mock Draft Roundup

It's nearly here: The 2015 NFL draft is just a few days away. The rumor mills are churning in earnest, general managers and head coaches are conducting their final, predraft press conferences, and the league is piling into Chicago, the site of this year's event.

This also means it's last-gasp season for 2015 mock drafts. Experts from a number of media outlets have released their final predictions of which players will land with which teams. For the Cleveland Browns, who have two picks in Round 1, these exercises have produced a litany of names that the team could land this year.

Let's take a final look at five of these mock drafts and see who the experts have projected to the Browns in Round 1 this year.

ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

ESPN draft insiders Mel Kiper and Todd McShay released a collaborative mock draft Friday, with the two taking turns making each team's picks. Kiper made the Browns' selection at No. 12, while McShay made their No. 19 pick in Round 1.

Round 1, Pick 12: NT Danny Shelton, Washington

Kiper explains why he has the Browns selecting Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton at No. 12: "Get an every-down, two-gapping, block-eating monster who can come in ready to help at a position of need? Don't mind if I do. We'll get the help at wide receiver later on. Malcom Brown is a consideration, but Shelton gets the edge."

Shelton, a 6'2" 339-pound defensive lineman, can certainly handle double-teams by offensive linemen and should help the Browns get out of their longstanding slump at stopping the run. Shelton totaled 208 career combined tackles at Washington, with 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

Round 1, Pick 19: OT Andrus Peat, Stanford

McShay also has the Browns addressing the trenches, but this time on the other side of the ball with Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat. McShay writes, "The Browns need to add depth along their offensive line, and Peat is the No. 12 prospect on my board, so the value makes sense here."

The value may make sense, but the pick doesn't. The Browns already have two established tackles in Joe Thomas on the left and Mitchell Schwartz on the right. Though there have been some rumblings of moving Schwartz to guard, that wouldn't make much sense either—Schwartz didn't have a bad 2014 season. Pro Football Focus marked him down for seven sacks, six quarterback hits and 22 hurries as a pass-protector, while right guard John Greco was the website's 11th-ranked player at the position.

The only way the Browns go with Peat or any other offensive lineman in Round 1 is if he is truly the best player available on their board and they strictly stick to their in-house player rankings. Peat could prove to be an upgrade on the line, but not so significantly that the Browns need to address the position this early.

Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier released his predraft mock draft Monday and makes a pair of unconventional picks for the Browns, starting at No. 12 overall. 

Round 1, Pick 12: DE Arik Armstead, Oregon

It's not out-of-the-box thinking for Tanier to have the Browns taking a defensive lineman in Round 1, but it is surprising that he has them taking Oregon's Arik Armstead at No. 12, given that he's not been heavily linked to the team this offseason.

Tanier's reasoning makes sense, citing the Browns' overall lack of youth and head coach Mike Pettine's defensive line philosophy: "Pettine likes to rotate his linemen, and an athletic, high-upside prospect like Armstead can thrive as a wave defender while learning from [Randy] Starks and [Desmond] Bryant." 

Armstead totaled 87 combined tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in three seasons as part of Oregon's defensive line rotation. As a rotational player, Armstead has upside, but at No. 12 overall, the Browns may be better off finding a lineman like Danny Shelton who can play three downs if asked.

Round 1, Pick 19: QB Garrett Grayson, Colorado State

This is where Tanier decides to make a bold decision, having the Browns not only select a quarterback in Round 1 but an unlikely one at that—Colorado State's Garrett Grayson. This is a surprising selection, though Tanier does a good job of explaining his logic: "The Browns can never resist drafting a quarterback with their second pick of the first round. They will stop doing it as soon as they enter a draft with two first-round picks but no need at quarterback. This is not that year."

Tanier continues, "Why not Brett Hundley? I had an epiphany while watching Hundley and Grayson scouting tape last week. Grayson is better. Grayson can consistently find second receivers and avoid negative plays. He has better touch on his passes than Hundley, and Hundley’s size-speed-arm advantage doesn’t compensate for the fact that he could find a way to get sacked during a pregame warm-up."

Tanier believes that Grayson can play as a rookie while Hundley cannot—and that the Browns would need any rookie quarterback to be ready to take the field this year. Grayson completed 61.8 percent of his passes in four years at Colorado State, for 9,190 yards, 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also rushed 212 times for 283 yards and four scores.

It's easy to see the dots of logic Tanier is connecting here. But the Browns already have four quarterbacks on the roster, with two, if not three, who could feasibly compete for the starting job. Grayson seems like a long shot for the Browns to draft in Round 1.

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports and NFLDraftScout.com released his latest mock draft Saturday. 

Round 1, Pick 12: WR DeVante Parker, Louisville

Brugler has the Browns taking Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker, and it's not because another coveted player is already off the board: "The Browns have obvious needs in the front seven on defense, but with Parker still available in this scenario, will they pass on a player like Danny Shelton for a potential No. 1 receiver? Yes."

The Browns could use a receiver like Parker, whom Brugler describes in his scouting report as possessing "long-striding speed with natural lower body explosion to get vertical in a hurry," "quick cuts to deceive after the catch and the vision to collect YAC" and "above average vertical with the leaping ability to hang in the air." Even better, Parker was a "frequent visitor to the end zone with a touchdown every 4.7 catches for the Cardinals."

Parker totaled 156 catches at Louisville, for 2,775 yards and 33 touchdowns. Cleveland needs to get younger at receiver, especially as the team avoided the position altogether in the 2014 draft. The Browns can make up for that by taking Parker at No. 12.

Round 1, Pick 19: OT La'el Collins, LSU

Brugler is also one who believes the Browns could or should address the offensive tackle position in Round 1, having them select LSU's La'el Collins at 19th overall. Of the pick, Brugler says, "The Browns need to add depth on the offensive line, and Collins would give the team a long-term option at right tackle to replace Mitchell Schwartz, who is likely playing his final season in Cleveland this year."

Brugler takes a different approach to the "replacing Schwartz" angle by predicting that Schwartz is not long for the team's roster. If that is the case, then perhaps the Browns do consider finding his replacement this year, making Collins a more realistic option in Round 1 than he would be otherwise. But they could also find an offensive tackle next year and take a top defensive lineman here instead.

Rob Rang, Brugler's colleague, says of Collins in his scouting report that he "sports a thick, powerful frame that makes him about as difficult to move as a chest freezer" and that "his frame belies his quick feet, an attribute that when combined with his long arms, impressive strength and aggression make him a devastating run blocker." 

Some teams may see Collins as a guard, but does note that "he's quick enough to remain at tackle for power-running teams." Collins could be an option for the Browns this year, but only if they are gearing up to move on from Schwartz and want his replacement to get a year of NFL preparation first.

NFL Network's Charley Casserly

The NFL Network's Charley Casserly released his latest mock draft Monday morning. His draft picks for the Browns are about as straightforward as his one-sentence explanations. 

Round 1, Pick 12: WR Kevin White, West Virginia

Simply put, Casserly believes the Browns need a young wide receiver this year: "[Browns general manager] Ray Farmer passed on wide receivers high in last year's draft; will he take one now?" He has the Browns taking West Virginia's Kevin White at No. 12. 

Why White? It seems partially because Casserly has the Minnesota Vikings taking DeVante Parker one pick earlier. Casserly clearly assumes it is possible that White could fall as far as the Browns' first pick at No. 12. If he does, they'd certainly welcome it.

In two years at West Virginia, White totaled 144 catches for 1,954 yards and 15 touchdowns, with 109 of those catches, 1,447 of those yards and 10 of those touchdowns coming in 2014. Though not the most experienced of the draft's wideouts, White is "not just a product of West Virginia's system—he's talented," according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, who adds "White lacks the polish of Amari Cooper, but some teams already believe he has the best upside of any wide receiver in this draft."

Anything is possible in Round 1 of the draft, including White falling all the way to No. 12. If he's there, the Browns will have to consider drafting him, especially if Parker is already off the board.

Round 1, Pick 19: NT Danny Shelton, Washington

Casserly does not stray from conventional wisdom about the Browns' draft plans this year by having them take Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton with the 19th overall pick. Casserly succinctly sums it up by saying, "Shelton falls into the Browns' lap. He helps the run defense immediately."

Shelton would help the run defense immediately. That's what he's billed as being the best at. And the Browns desperately need someone to help turn their run defense's fortunes around. But Shelton isn't only a run-stopper, as Zierlein points out: "Shelton is an above-average interior pass-rusher for a man his size, thanks to his surprising athleticism."

But as a "space-eater who is able to maintain good positioning against double-teams" and "has the strength and athleticism to dominate in the running game," Shelton's biggest upside for the Browns is against the run. He'll immediately be a part of the defensive line rotation should the Browns draft him.

Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar

Chris Covatta/Getty Images

Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar released his latest mock draft last week, and the positions he has the Browns addressing in Round 1 should be familiar ones.

Round 1, Pick 12: WR DeVante Parker, Louisville

You can count Farrar as yet another draft analyst who believes that the Browns will take a wide receiver—and for Farrar, specifically DeVante Parker—in Round 1 this year. Farrar notes that "the 6'3", 209-pound Parker is ranked by many as the third receiver in this class behind Amari Cooper and Kevin White" and "he projects very well as a No. 1 receiver."

Farrar acknowledges that the Browns' murky quarterback situation is an issue, saying Parker would "have to wait a while for a No. 1 quarterback if the Browns take him, but this passing offense has to start somewhere." Given that Parker is a consistent scoring threat, he could easily help out even a struggling Browns quarterback make positive strides this year, whether that is Johnny Manziel, Josh McCown or someone else.

Round 1, Pick 19: DT Malcom Brown, Texas

Farrar also has the Browns addressing their defensive line in Round 1, but he opts for Texas' Malcom Brown at No. 19 rather than the fashionable Danny Shelton—mainly because he has Shelton off the board at No. 15. Farrar says that "Brown might be a great addition to a defensive line that's already pretty strong with Phil Taylor and Randy Starks on the inside."

He continues, "Brown would fit in Mike Pettine's defense because he can penetrate and stop the run from one- and two-gap positions, giving the Browns some serious versatility." Brown totaled 88 combined tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for Texas, with the majority of that production—71 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and all 6.5 sacks—coming in 2014.

Run-stopping is a serious concern for the Browns right now, as is pass rush, given that the Browns totaled only 31 sacks in 2014. Brown could serve as both an interior pass-rusher as well as a run-stopper, supplying toughness the team needs on the defensive line. If Shelton is already spoken for when the Browns pick 19th, Brown would be the next best choice.