Cleveland Browns 2015 Draft: The Good, the Bad and the Baffling

Not every pick a team makes in the NFL draft is a good one. It's nearly impossible for that to happen, given that every player selected represents a gamble. The only hope is that a team can meet as many of its needs as possible while also rounding out the roster with highly talented players at any position in order to breed improvement.

The Cleveland Browns made 12 selections in the 2015 NFL draft. Though it will take a year or longer to really evaluate whether or not they chose correctly, it is possible to take a look back now and make a determination about which picks were good, which were bad and which were simply baffling—or, at least, seem that way on paper.

Without further ado, here are the Browns' good, bad and baffling moves of the 2015 NFL draft.

Good: Browns Select NT Danny Shelton at No. 12

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The Browns have had longstanding issues with stopping the run; they aren't just limited to 2014's last-place finish in rushing yardage allowed. They have tried a great many things to fix it, from changing coaches and schemes to adding players to moving players around, and nothing has worked.

Perhaps the Browns' first of two Round 1 2015 draft picks, Danny Shelton, will finally help them buck that trend going forward. Stopping the run was clearly the Browns' top draft priority this year, especially given their defensive-minded head coach Mike Pettine, whose pride and joy is typically his front seven. 

The Browns have been linked to Shelton for months. Now they've got their man, one who can help Cleveland solve one of its most pervasive problems.

Bad: Browns Select WR Vince Mayle in Round 4

It's not bad that the Browns waited until Round 4 to get a wide receiver, given both the depth of the draft class as well as the highly talented and much-needed players they selected in the rounds preceding. But when they did select one, they didn't get a player who can do much as a rookie, at least based on his collegiate production.

Washington State's Vince Mayle has only two years of on-field experience and only one truly productive year. He had 148 catches for 2,022 yards and 16 touchdowns, with 106 catches for 1,483 yards and nine scores in 2014. He has a 6'2" frame, and as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein notes, he "[c]an win in space and has tremendous ability to track the ball over his shoulder on deep throws."

But Mayle also had 13 drops last year and has "[u]nsound fundamentals as a hands-catcher." It will take some time, and some dedicated coaching, to get Mayle on the field and contributing in any significant manner. That's fine—the Browns aren't hard up for receiving talent this year, with Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Rob Housler and Duke Johnson available to catch passes this year.

In the future, though, the Browns are going to need Mayle to make a leap forward and actually play. And if his hands cannot improve, he's just another Greg Little—albeit one taken in Round 4 rather than Round 2. It's not the worst pick the Browns could have made, given where their roster stands now and their needs, but Mayle is a big question mark.

Baffling: Back-to-Back TEs in Round 6

One of the more curious moves the Browns made in the draft this year was their choice to take two tight ends with back-to-back picks. They selected Mississippi State tight end Malcolm Johnson in Round 6, at pick 195, and then selected USC's Randall Telfer at No. 198.

But looking closer, it's clear the Browns have drafted two very different players. Johnson is a jack-of-all-trades and projects to play not just tight end but also fullback and H-back, something Browns coaches told him they'd like to do.

Meanwhile Telfer is, to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, one of the best blocking tight ends in the 2015 class. He also has sneaky upside as a receiver. Though he had only 65 career catches, 12 went for touchdowns. Telfer, though, comes with a significant injury history. He's had numerous knee and ankle injuries—but there is a silver lining, with Telfer having been named USC's most inspirational player, given the way he's continuously worked back each time.

The additions of Telfer and Johnson round out a tight ends group that includes Rob Housler, Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge and gives the Browns a number of interesting matchup combinations on offense. While it may seem strange that the Browns addressed the position twice in Round 6, it does make sense given that the two players are quite different and will be used in different ways.

Good: Browns Draft RB Duke Johnson in Round 3

The Browns may not have gotten an instant-impact wide receiver in this year's draft, but they did get a player who can certainly catch more than a few passes in 2015 and make plays. That man would be Miami running back Duke Johnson, selected by the team in Round 3.

Johnson, Miami's all-time leading rusher, had 381 collegiate carries for 2,599 yards and 20 scores, with 242 carries, 1,652 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014. He also had 65 receptions over those two years, for 642 yards and four scores, with 38 catches for 421 yards and three scores in 2014.

Though Johnson will certainly be part of a three-man committee with Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West as a running back, he will also be valuable in the passing game. West and Crowell combined for just 27 catches, 151 yards and one receiving touchdown last year. Johnson could easily surpass that production single-handedly as a receiver in his rookie year.

Johnson is a dynamic player who gives the Browns options on offense. The Browns couldn't have made a better choice for their needs in Round 3.

Bad: Browns Nail the Draft, but Still Don't Have a QB

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The Browns were wise to not make a move for a quarterback in an early round this year. Even with all the uncertainty at the position, the four currently on the roster—Johnny Manziel, Josh McCown, Connor Shaw and Thaddeus Lewis—should eventually produce a starter.

Cleveland made a number of excellent additions via the draft this year, beginning in Round 1 with nose tackle Danny Shelton and offensive lineman Cameron Erving, and stretching into Round 2 with linebacker Nate Orchard, and Round 3 with running back Duke Johnson and defensive lineman Xavier Cooper.

But overshadowing this good draft is that quarterback situation. It will be some time—months, even—before the Browns determine which quarterback they are most comfortable with starting come Week 1.

So while the Browns were able to address positions of need, add high-quality players and build up their depth on both sides of the ball (and special teams), the highest-profile position on the team is still in a to-be-determined state. The Browns' work is far from done even though the draft has wrapped.

Baffling: Browns Draft 12 Players

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For the past two years, the Browns have opted to trade up, down and out of rounds and have ultimately come away with fewer picks than they went in with. Last year, the Browns had 10 picks at the start of the draft and emerged with six players, none taken later than Round 4.

So when the Browns came into the 2015 draft with 10 possible picks to make, it seemed inevitable that general manager Ray Farmer would again earn the moniker of "Trader Ray" and move around multiple times not only to be able to snag players they want right now but also to stockpile picks for 2016. That wasn't the case.

Farmer did trade—first in Round 2, when they moved down from 43 to 51 with the Houston Texans, giving the Texans a seventh-round selection and picking up a fourth-rounder. They also traded back into Round 3, giving the New England Patriots a fourth-, a fifth- and a sixth-round pick. The Browns also traded pick No. 116 in Round 4 to the Arizona Cardinals and added a sixth- and a seventh-rounder in return.

With all those moves, the Browns ended the draft with 12 picks, all used on players. "Trader Ray" worked his magic again, but not with an eye toward 2016. Instead, the Browns were able to seriously load up on players this year, something that was certainly not expected heading into this year's event.