2011 NFL Mock Draft: Full Cleveland Browns Mock with Vikings Trade Scenario

The Cleveland Browns have a multitude of needs to fill this offseason and there has been a lot of debate over which prospects would best fulfill those needs. 

Add to that the recent speculation that the Browns are looking to trade down, and there are a number of possible directions in which the team could go.

First, let’s assume Blaine Gabbert and/or Cam Newton fall to the Browns at No. 6. 

In this scenario, the Minnesota Vikings want to grab one of them, so they offer Cleveland the 12th and 43rd overall picks in exchange for No. 6.

A.J. Green and Julio Jones are still on the board as the No. 12 Browns pick approaches and they decide to trade their pair of sixth-round picks to switch spots with Houston—now they have the 11th overall selection in the draft.

Who do they pick?

Round 1, Pick 11: A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, 6'3.5", 207, Georgia

Browns fans want a No.1 wideout so bad they can taste it, and no one can blame them. 

Had the Browns stayed at six, they might have gone defense.  Now that they're outside the Top 10 and A.J. Green is still miraculously available, Cleveland has to take him. 

Alternative Pick: Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, 6'4", 218, Alabama

Jones is the fashionable post-combine pick right now, with some even predicting him to be the first receiver off the board, which I doubt will happen. 

He needs some work before he is a legit No.1 at the pro level, but in a few years whoever drafted him will probably have a premiere receiver on their hands.

Round 2, Pick 33: Aldon Smith, Defensive End, 6'4", 266, Missouri

Trade Alert: The Cleveland Browns acquire the 33rd overall pick from the New England Patriots in exchange for Cleveland's picks at 43 (second round), 102 (fourth round) and 137 (fifth round). 

The Pats, who already had two picks in the first round, will still have two in the second, and the trade value is in their favor.

Aldon Smith is projected to go somewhere in the first round, but I don't see him as being an absolute first-round lock.  Smith is still a raw prospect and something of a 'tweener. 

He lacks elite burst off the edge and will need to bulk up a little to play end in the NFL, but in time could develop into the pass rushing threat the Browns have been searching for.

Alternative Pick: Justin Houston, Defensive End, 6'3", 272, Georgia

Houston is another raw prospect who, like Aldon Smith, is being viewed by some as a 3-4 OLB.  I think he fits better as a 4-3 right end. 

Houston has elite burst that could make him a beast in the pass rush, but may not be as versatile a prospect as Smith.       

Round 2, Pick 37: Rahim Moore, Free Safety, 6'0", 200, UCLA

Rahim Moore has been criticized for his inconsistent tackling, but he’s still the best free safety in the draft, with the added versatility to play corner. 

With T.J. Ward locking down the strong safety spot as enforcer, Moore could be the perfect center-fielder complement at free safety.  He is currently projected as a late first to early second-round selection. 

Every Browns fan knows the team hasn’t had a starting FS since Brodney Pool left, and this should be the year they finally do something about it.

Alternative Pick: Derek Sherrod, OT, 6'5", 320, Mississippi State

Again, Sherrod is projected to go earlier (late first).  Sherrod may have the ability to be a starting left tackle in time, but he could not start there immediately, and that could cause a surprise slip.

The Browns have needed a legit starting right tackle for what seems like forever, and Derek Sherrod can be it from day one.

Round 3, Pick 70: James Carpenter, OT, 6'5", 308, Alabama

If the Browns bypass a right tackle in the second round, they should definitely give one a look in the third.   

James Carpenter was a consistently high-caliber left tackle at Alabama, and could develop into a starter on the right side in the pros.  Even if he doesn’t succeed at tackle, he projects as a solid guard.

Alternative Pick: Aaron Williams, DB, 6'0", 190, Texas

If the Browns don't pick up a DB in the second, there should be a couple of good ones at the top of the third.

Aaron Williams is currently projected anywhere from the bottom of the first to the late second round, but his lack of speed and concern about his ability to play corner at the pro level could cause him to slip a little more than he already has been. 

Whether at corner or safety, Williams would be a steal in the third round.

Alternative Pick Two: Davon House, CB, 6'0", 185, New Mexico State

House was probably the single bright spot on an otherwise horrible 2010 Aggies team, and would claim a starting role with the Browns by the end of his rookie season. 

House's stock has been on the rise since the combine, and he is currently projected to go somewhere between the middle and late second round. 

If the House hype keeps up, he could possibly even sneak into the late first round.  But if the hype dies down he could easily slip to the Browns at No. 70, in the third.