Cleveland Browns: Last-Minute 7-Round Mock Draft and Top-100 Big Board

The offseason can be a tough time for football fans as they wait to see their favorite teams back on the field.

While it's not a game, the NFL draft is still one of the most exciting sports events there is and something that can bring joy to everyone involved. For the Browns, the hope is that joy makes its way to Cleveland and helps revive a once proud franchise that has fallen on hard times.

But a new day is here, as a revamped front office and a head coach with a strong offensive background are ready to make Cleveland a winning franchise again. It won't be easy or happen overnight. However, the team can lay the foundation of a winning franchise in this year's draft.

Armed with 12 draft selections—six in the top 100—the Browns have what they need to begin building a team that Cleveland can be proud to call its own. 

Now, it's time to look at what Cleveland's big board may look like, as well as give predictions for all of the Browns' picks in this year's draft, which kicks off Thursday night.

Top-100 Big Board

Now that the Browns have traded back to the No. 8 pick, I've taken several players off their big board heading into Round 1. 

To recap, this big board is based on Cleveland's biggest positions of need, given the offensive and defensive systems the team utilizes. However, I did keep many players ranked at or near where they are viewed as overall prospects, regardless of team needs or schemes. 

I removed only Cal quarterback Jared Goff and North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. That's because they are widely expected to be the first two picks in this draft, and Cleveland has little to no shot of drafting them.

However, those are the only prospects who were removed because Cleveland can't get them. Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil, Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Ohio State pass-rusher Joey Bosa are still in play. 

While those three are expected to be off the board by pick No. 8, Cleveland may look to move back up into the top five and draft one of those guys. 

I have also removed several guys who may go in the first three rounds but may have major off-field issues. Here's a look at my updated big board heading into the draft.

Cleveland Browns Big Board

Rank	Player	Position	School
1	Joey Bosa	DE/LB	Ohio State
2	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
3	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
4	DeForest Buckner	DL	Oregon
5	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
6	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
7	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
8	Sheldon Rankins	DL	Louisville
9	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	Florida
10	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
11	Shaq Lawson	DE/LB	Clemson
12	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
13	Ryan Kelly	C	Alabama
14	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
15	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
16	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
17	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
18	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
19	Andrew Billings	DT	Baylor
20	Reggie Ragland	ILB	Alabama
21	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
22	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
23	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
24	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
25	Vernon Butler	DT	Louisiana Tech
26	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
27	Karl Joseph	S	West Virginia
28	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
29	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State
30	Noah Spence	DE/LB	EKU
31	William Jackson III	CB	Houston
32	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama
33	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE/LB	Oklahoma State
34	Kevin Dodd	DE/LB	Clemson
35	Keanu Neal	S	Florida
36	Jonathan Bullard	DL	Florida
37	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
38	Kenny Clark	DT	UCLA
39	Hunter Henry	TE	Arkansas
40	Germain Ifedi	OT	Texas A&M
41	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
42	Derrick Henry	RB	Alabama
43	Sterling Shepard	WR	Oklahoma
44	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
45	Adolphus Washington	DL	Ohio State
46	Kamalei Correa	OLB	Boise State
47	Kendall Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
48	Tyler Boyd	WR	Pitt
49	Joshua Perry	LB	Ohio State
50	Sterling Shepard	WR	Oklahoma
51	Artie Burns	CB	Miami (FL)
52	Jeremy Cash	S	Duke
53	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah
54	Austin Johnson	DT	Penn State
55	Xavien Howard	CB	Baylor
56	Kenneth Dixon	RB	LA Tech
57	Vonn Bell	S	Ohio State
58	Shilique Calhoun	DE/LB	Michigan State
59	Pharoh Cooper	WR	South Carolina
60	Nick Martin	C	Notre Dame
61	Su'a Cravens	S/LB	USC
62	Leonte Carroo	WR	Rutgers
63	Shon Coleman	OT	Auburn
64	Darian Thompson	S	Boise State
65	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
66	Kentrell Brothers	ILB	Missouri
67	Braxton Miller	WR	Ohio State
68	Chris Jones	DT	Mississippi State
69	Austin Hooper	TE	Stanford
70	Willie Henry	DL	Michigan
71	Le'Raven Clark	OT	Texas Tech
72	Carl Nassib	DE/LB	Penn State
73	Joshua Garnett	OG	Stanford
74	Scooby Wright III	LB	Arizona
75	Paul Perkins	RB	UCLA
76	Christian Westerman	OG	Arizona State
77	Alex Lewis	OT	Nebraska
78	Jonathan Jones	CB	Auburn
79	Jordan Jenkins	OLB	Georgia
80	Nick Vannett	TE	Ohio State
81	Tyler Matakevich	ILB	Temple
82	Sheldon Day	DT	Notre Dame
83	Jerell Adams	TE	South Carolina
84	Jordan Howard	RB	Indiana
85	Charone Peake	WR	Clemson
86	Will Redmond	CB	Mississippi State
87	Miles Killebrew	S	Utah
88	Jihad Ward	DE/LB	Northern Illinois
89	Jalen Mills	FS	LSU
90	Mike Thomas	WR	Southern Miss
91	Maliek Collins	DT	Nebraska
92	Stephen Weatherly	ILB	Vanderbilt
93	Rashard Higgins	WR	Colorado State
94	Jack Allen	C	Michigan State
95	Thomas Duarte	WR/TE	UCLA
96	Kevin Byard	S	Middle Tennessee State
97	C.J. Prosise	RB/WR	Notre Dame
98	Daniel Braverman	WR	Western Michigan
99	Kelvin Taylor	RB	Florida
100	Zack Sanchez	CB	Oklahoma

Round 1

Trade: Browns Acquire No. 3 Pick from Chargers and select Joey Bosa, DE/LB, Ohio State

Cleveland makes another major trade splash by moving up to the No. 3 pick as San Diego wants to trade down and acquire more assets. 

In return, Cleveland sends a first (No. 8 overall), third (No. 77), fourth (No. 99) and fifth-round pick (No. 173) to move up five spots. It may take another pick or a higher selection, but it shouldn't be too difficult to move up to No. 3.

After the two quarterbacks go within the first two picks, no other player in this draft has as much value, making it much less costly to move up. The Browns do just that and land arguably the best player in this draft in Ohio State pass-rusher Joey Bosa. 

Though his numbers from the 2015 season suggest he's not worth this pick, that's deceiving. Bosa was such a force along the Buckeyes defensive line that offenses frequently threw double- and even triple-teams his way.

But when Bosa did get one-on-one chances, no one was better at rushing the passer over the past two years. He finished his career with 26 sacks and 51 tackles for loss in 38 games. Bosa's best season came during Ohio State's 2014 national title-winning season when he racked up 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.

Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer has coached many elite players throughout his college stops at Utah, Florida and now Ohio State. But of all the guys he's coached, he called Bosa the best of them, according to Todd Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune. 

At this point, it looks unlikely that Bosa falls as far as the No. 8 pick. Making matters worse is that AFC North rival Baltimore is considering Bosa with the No. 6 pick, according to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. 

The thought of Cleveland missing on Bosa and then watching him land with the Ravens makes trading up to get him even more reasonable. That's probably the only way Cleveland is going to get arguably the best prospect in this draft. 

Round 1

Trade: Browns Acquire No. 29 Pick from Cardinals and select Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

Another trade for Cleveland?

Don't be surprised to see the Browns wheeling and dealing throughout the draft in order to get the players they want. After getting a franchise pass-rusher with its first pick, Cleveland makes another move to get a possible franchise quarterback.

The Browns do so by moving up just three spots by sending a second (No. 32 overall) and a fifth-round pick (No. 141) to Arizona for the No. 29 pick. The Cardinals will likely look to acquire more picks in this draft as they have only six.

Though Cleveland may be able to land Cook in the second round, getting him in Round 1 is essential to his development, not to mention the Browns getting the maximum amount of time to evaluate Cook.

By taking Cook in Round 1, Cleveland would have a fifth-year option to exercise and keep him under his rookie contract for five years. It's not unheard of for a quarterback to need that much time to show he can be a franchise player. 

And while Cook has the potential to become the kind of quarterback the Browns haven't had since their resurrection in 1999, he needs a few years to develop and adjust to the NFL. Having that fifth year would help ensure he gets that time while allowing Cleveland to decide if he's worth a franchise QB-type contract.

There's also a report from Fox Sports' Alex Marvez that the Browns may look to trade down from the No. 8 pick and take Cook later in Round 1. In this scenario, they land Cook by trading up from the second round. 

Round 3

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3, Pick No. 65 overall: Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida

Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard was a monster this past season, racking up 63 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

A knee injury limited the 6'3", 285-pounder over the final four games, which saw him register just four tackles for loss and one sack over that span. He looked bound to be a first-round pick before the injury slowed him down, and the question of what he is in the NFL is also a concern.

He's a little small to be a 3-4 defensive tackle or nose tackle. He may be able to play as a 3-4 end, but even that's unclear.

That and just one year of big-time production as a senior is keeping Bullard from being a first-rounder and likely someone who goes between Rounds 2 and 3. This would be a massive steal for the Browns at this point, especially based on what Pro Football Focus wrote about Bullard: 

"

Stats to know: Top grade against the run among interior defensive linemen in nation in 2015, sixth in the nation with 42 stops.

What he does best:
• Beats blockers whether lined up head up or while penetrating, can disrupt and finish in the running game
• Can play stout at the point, and will find the football
• Very good block recognition. Feels where the block is coming from and can defeat all block types
• Can handle double team on the interior
• Anticipates the snap, will get a few great jumps off the ball

"

As bad as Cleveland's defensive line was last year, adding Bullard would be a big step toward making it a force to be reckoned with. 

Round 4

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Round 4, Pick No. 100 (from Philadelphia): Charone Peake, WR, Clemson

Wide receiver is one of the Browns' biggest needs heading into the draft.

Though Cleveland waits until Round 4 to address it, it still lands a big-time talent in Clemson's Charone Peake. The 6'2", 209-pound freak of an athlete has all of the traits of an NFL boundary receiver.

He has the size and strength to outmuscle most defensive backs for contested balls. His 4.37 speed from his pro day allows him to blow by any defender and take the top off a defense. 

Peake's game is similar to Martavis Bryant's when he came out of Clemson in 2014 and landed with the Steelers. Cleveland has seen enough of Bryant to know how much that kind of talented receiver can dramatically change a game. 

The Browns are in desperate need of a game-changing receiver with Josh Gordon uncertain to play in 2016, not to mention Travis Benjamin leaving this offseason. Those two have given Cleveland the kind of game-breaking plays that Peake should produce if the Browns are able to land him. 

Round 4, Pick No. 138 (compensatory): Max Tuerk, C, USC

By now, the biggest need for Cleveland to fill is at center.

While the team drafted Cameron Erving for this role after losing longtime starting center Alex Mack, Erving spent most of his rookie season at guard and tackle. That, however, was a disaster, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as the third-worst offensive guard out of 145 eligible players. 

That's not a guy you want to give a starting job to next season, so Cleveland should look to add another center in this draft. For this mock, that turns out to be USC's Max Tuerk, who at one point looked like he could be the best center in this draft. 

However, an ACL injury suffered in the middle of last season will likely cause him to fall to Day 3, but this could end up being one of the biggest steals in this draft. If he can get back to 100 percent, Tuerk can come in and ensure there's little to no drop-off at this spot for Cleveland.

Round 5

Associated Press

Round 5, Pick No. 172: Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama

At some point in this draft, the Browns need to add some explosion to both their running game and return unit.

They haven't gotten enough big plays from those units to win ballgames. Just last year, Cleveland lost five games by only one score. 

If the Browns had gotten just one more big play from either their return game or offense, those could have been wins, and we're talking about a seven- or even eight-win team on the verge of becoming a winning team. 

Instead, we're talking about a 3-13 club that is facing a massive rebuilding project, especially on offense. Though Cleveland has some talented running backs, new head coach and offensive guru Hue Jackson will want to find some more firepower at this position. 

Kenyan Drake gave Alabama big plays as a running back and returner while helping lead the Tide to a national championship last season. He's a nice dual-threat runner who is also one of the better returners in this draft. 

The 6'1", 210-pound Drake finished his college career with 233 rushes for 1,495 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and 18 scores. He also chipped in 46 catches for 570 yards (12.4 yards per catch) and four scores. 

Drake isn't going to be an offense's featured weapon, but he's good enough to add more big plays to a team in need of them. He had 19 kickoff returns for 505 yards (26.6 average) and one score this past year, and the one score was a fourth-quarter touchdown in the national title game. 

Round 6

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Round 6, Pick No. 176 overall: Thomas Duarte, WR, UCLA

Expect the Browns to come out of their draft with two to three pass-catchers to bolster their offense.

Both tight end and wide receiver could use more depth. It may be possible to add a player who can provide depth at both spots. 

That comes in the form of Bruins receiver/tight end Thomas Duarte. A 6'2", 231-pound hybrid receiver, Duarte is listed by some services as a tight end prospect and others as a wide receiver.

This past season, he caught 53 passes for 872 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns. Depending on how Cleveland views him, Duarte could be drafted sooner than this, but in this mock, he falls to Round 6 before being scooped up. 

In an interview with the NFL Network (via Yahoo Sports), Duarte compared himself to Washington tight end Jordan Reed. Like Duarte was in college, Reed is almost exclusively a receiver in the NFL and doesn't play like a normal tight end who has to block a lot. 

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein also compared Duarte to Reed:

"

DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 6 or 7

NFL COMPARISON Jordan Reed

BOTTOM LINE Duarte is an interesting study as his draft value and overall grade could be tied directly to whether or not a team believes they can make him work as move tight end. Duarte has the athleticism, size and play speed to make a roster as a wide receiver, but his draft value may not be as high if teams see him as a receiver only. Matchup tight ends are all the rage and Duarte can play with more weight and a little more willingness as a run blocker, he’s got a shot to become a productive NFL player.

"

Wherever Duarte plays, he'd be a welcome addition to the Browns offense. 

Round 7

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Round 7, Pick No. 223: Kevin Byard, S, Middle Tennessee State 

The Browns cap off their draft by adding more safety depth.

With Donte Whitner being let go this offseason, Cleveland needs to find another playmaker for the secondary. Middle Tennessee State's Kevin Byard has quietly been one of college football's best safeties over his career.

The 5'11", 216-pound safety was a three-time Jim Thorpe Watch List selection over the course of his four years in college, per the school's official website. This past season, Byard registered 66 tackles and a team-high four interceptions in 12 games.

In 2014, Byard recorded 72 tackles, a team-high six interceptions, four pass deflections and two forced fumbles. In 2013, he racked up 106 tackles and a team-high five interceptions.

Simply put, Byard frequently made plays in college, so the hope here is he'll do the same for a Browns defense in need of playmakers.