2011 NFL Mock Draft: Browns 7-Round Selection Predictions, Version Three
After waiting for what seems like an eternity, the countdown to the 2011 NFL Draft now stands at just 12 days. That means most of us have our picks for the Browns through seven rounds pretty much set. But…there's always room to keep tweaking things, right up until the draft is officially underway next Thursday.
Thus, I present the third rollout of my Browns' seven-round mock draft. You won't find a lot of changes from my second rollout in terms of my top choice at each slot. However, I've expanded each slide to include the best alternatives to my top choice at that slot to provide options in the event that my current top pick isn't available or becomes a less desirable pick at his given slot for some reason.
Commenters have already done a fantastic job of improving these mock drafts throughout each different rollout with their suggestions, so as always, please share your thoughts on these picks or suggestions for picks you think would be better in the comments below! You've all been a tremendous help and made this process infinitely more fun than a mock draft should be!
Round One: CB Patrick Peterson
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In the first rollout of my 2011 mock draft, I chose DE Da'Quan Bowers in the first round. Readers hated the pick because of questions surrounding Bowers' injury status, and sure enough, the news on Bowers' knee gets worse by the day. Obviously, an adjustment to my mock was in order for this round.
The reason I chose Bowers in the first place was because I felt strongly that the Browns needed to prioritize the DE position early in the draft. I still feel that way, but given the way the draft appears to be shaping up, the sixth overall slot in the draft may not be a good place to take a DE. Marcell Dareus will surely be gone by this point, and it's too early to take Robert Quinn.
I still think the best scenario for the Browns in round one is to trade down, but I also still think that's unlikely. If it were to happen, I could see the Browns trading down for Quinn.
But assuming it won't, I think the No. 6 pick is best spent on the best player on the board, and that will probably be CB Patrick Peterson.
CB is not a position where the Browns needs are strongest, but I feel that taking the best player on the board is never a bad move, even if it ultimately isn't the ideal one. To me, this is the safest pick for the Browns in the first round; a way to come as close as possible to guaranteeing the first round pick won't be a bust, and to minimize the risk that would result from taking a player who should not be drafted that high just because he fits the Browns most pressing needs, at DE or anywhere else.
Peterson is a shutdown corner who would be an outstanding complement to Joe Haden and yet another huge boost to an already formidable secondary. While he doesn't fill any of the team's most desperate needs, he would definitely be a top-notch contributor to the Cleveland defense with immediate impact.
Other Options: Obviously, the Browns will be carefully considering WR A.J. Green if he's still on the board. Whether he's a better pick than Peterson depends on whether you think filling the WR need trumps drafting the best player available. DT Nick Fairley would be another very solid pick, as would Von Miller (perhaps a trade down pick). And should that trade down move be made, Robert Quinn will most certainly be on the Browns' radar.
Round Two: DE Brooks Reed
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It's exceptionally important for the Browns to draft a DE in the second round if they don't go that route in the first round. Even in my original mock draft, when taking Bowers in round one, I still had a DE/DT as my second-round pick as insurance.
Now, with the Browns going with a CB in round one, it's even more important that they get a serviceable, immediate impact DE in round two. I originally had DE/DT Allen Bailey in this slot, but have revised the pick in this version of my mock draft, thanks to helpful suggestions from some very knowledgeable readers and fellow Browns writers.
My top target in round two is DE Brooks Reed out of Arizona. Reed is definitely a superior player to Bailey, and would not have to be converted from DT to DE. Reed finished his college career with 107 tackles and 17 sacks.
Unfortunately, there is a good chance that Reed will be gone by the time the Browns make their second-round selection (many mocks have the Patriots taking Reed in the first round). There are also a good number of folks who see Reed purely as an OLB suited to a 3-4 defense, rather than a DE in a 4-3. Strictly speaking, that's probably true. But there's a reason so many of us think Reed might be able to adapt for our 4-3.
Other options: If the Browns don't like Reed in round two for that reason, or if (more likely) he's already gone, the Browns should absolutely be targeting North Carolina DT Marvin Austin or Texas DE Sam Acho. DE Adrian Clayborn gets a nod here too if he's still available, though he's usually projected as a first rounder.
Round Three: WR Greg Little
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Assuming the Browns don't take Green or another receiver before this point, they absolutely have to take one now.
I know, I know—like the rest of North Carolina's team, Greg Little has character issues. Still, I don't see the incident he was involved in as a reason not to draft him.
The big draw of Little is that he possesses two important qualities for a wide receiver that the Browns current receiving corps seriously lacks. The first is that he has great hands. The second is his ability to maximize yardage after a catch.
In 2010, the Browns receivers were absolutely horrible when it came to yards after reception. Stuckey (because he appeared to be afraid of getting hit) and Massaquoi (because he didn't have the agility and seemed to hesitate after making the grab before hitting the gas pedal) both didn't do enough in this category. Little, on the other hand, is notably good at picking up extra yards after getting a hold of the ball.
Obviously, if there was a comparable receiver available at this point with no black marks on his record in terms of character, he'd probably be the better choice. However, I don't imagine we'll see a receiver with skills and potential comparable to Little's still on the board here, and I think the character concerns for Little are minor enough that I wouldn't consider taking a less-talented receiver in this slot because of them.
Other options: There's a good argument out there for WR Jerrel Jernigan as an alternative to Little. Many think he's just as talented, and he hasn't been saddled with any "character issue" tags. Unfortunately, Jernigan could easily be gone in round two.
If the Browns haven't attended to their DE/DT needs at this point, Dontay Moch is a great option. If you want to stick with a WR in round three, though, Boise State's Titus Young is a good option, and Marcus Cannon has gotten a lot of support at this slot from some of our commenters who would like to see the Browns go with an OT in round three.
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Round Four: OT Chris Hairston
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At this point in the draft, the Browns will need to focus on solidifying their offensive line and drafting a right tackle.
The Browns have the foundation for a great O-line in Eric Steinbach, Alex Mack and Joe Thomas, but they need serious help on the right side.
Hairston was a left tackle for most of his time with the Clemson Tigers, but he did play some right tackle as a redshirt sophomore, and his size and run-blocking ability seem to suggest that he could do the same for the Browns.
Also important is the fact that Hairston is so durable that his injury risk is practically nil, which would be a welcome thing for the Browns after all the trouble they had keeping RT Tony Pashos healthy and on the field in 2010.
Other Options: Perhaps more than at any other slot, I've not seen many options suggested that I prefer over Hairston. However, there's a good argument for two other OTs at this point in the draft: Indiana's James Brewer and Florida's Marcus Gilbert. This could also be a good time to take OLB Bruce Carter. He's a steal here if his torn ACL is completely healed.
Then there's the very intriguing option of TE Weslye Saunders. Taking a TE isn't a top priority for the Browns, but with so many doubts about Evan Moore's ability to stay healthy, they might want to consider a mid-round TE to serve as insurance.
Round Five: DE Greg Romeus
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In my original mock draft, I had the Browns taking ILB Casey Matthews in this spot. Matthews is still a tempting pick here from the fan perspective, as he is the son of beloved former Browns OLB Clay Matthews, Jr.
But unfortunately, Casey Matthews just doesn't have the size or the talent to be a viable fifth-round pick at the linebacker position. So it was back to the drawing board for the Browns' fifth-round pick in this version of my mock draft.
I've revised the pick here to Pittsburgh DE Greg Romeus. With the Browns not going with a DE in the first round in this version of my mock draft, I think it's important to get another DE (in addition to the DE taken in the second round) as an insurance policy or, hopefully, as an additional piece to strengthen the Browns' front seven.
It's possible that Romeus could go in the fourth round, but if he's still around here in the fifth, the Browns would be incredibly foolish not to take him. Romeus originally projected as a first-round pick before his final season with the Pitt Panthers, but had back problems that caused his projected draft slot to plummet.
While the back problems are supposedly fixed, there's no guarantee of that. Because of that issue, Romeus would have been far too great a risk as a first-rounder or even as a second- or third-rounder, but if the Browns could get him in round five, it would most certainly be worth taking the chance.
Other options: Of the eight total picks in my Browns mock draft, Romeus is probably one of the ones that I am the most firmly committed to. Still, it's good to have a backup plan, especially since Romeus could go in the fourth. There aren't many players who are projected to go in the fifth round that I would consider a fair equivalent to Romeus at DE, so it might be best to take plan B in another direction.
As several commenters pointed out previously, WR Cecil Shorts III looks pretty good as a fifth round WR prospect. Shorts played college ball at Mount Union, so there are some understandable concerns that his numbers are inflated because he faced mostly Division III opponents. Still, Shorts continues to show up on quite a few experts' draft radars, so it appears that Shorts' supporters have good reason for claiming he'll translate successfully to the NFL.
Round 6, Pick 1 (Compensatory): S Jeron Johnson
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The Browns have two picks in the sixth round, the first of which is a compensatory pick (the third pick in the round) from Denver for QB Brady Quinn.
With more pressing needs (hopefully) already filled at this point in the draft, the sixth round is a good time for the Browns to go after a safety to play opposite TJ Ward, particularly if they decide to part ways with Abe Elam.
Boise State SS Jeron Johnson may be a good choice for the job.
Johnson projects as a possible late fifth rounder, so he may be off the board by now. If not, the Browns would be wise to grab him here. Johnson excels against the run, has great ball instincts and is a tough player and leader. The concerning issue for Johnson is mostly size.
While he does have a lot of positives to balance out the size concerns—as was the case with Matthews—we have to acknowledge the fact that it may be enough of an issue that the Browns should think very carefully before drafting him.
Some scouts see Johnson as being so small for the job that they fear he'll miss tackles entirely because of it, though others have made a point of noting that he wraps up opposing ball carriers very well despite often being physically overmatched.
Other Options: If Johnson is off the board at this point or the size concerns loom too large to ignore, then the Browns may want to look at CB Marcus Gilchrist, S Eric Hagg or S Da'Norris Searcy here. S Zac Etheridge is worth a look here too.
And, for those with a fondness for the Matthews' family, this might be a more appropriate spot in which to consider Casey Matthews, who I had originally suggested as a fifth round pick in my first mock draft rollout but reconsidered in my second due to his lack of size and speed.
Round 6, Pick 2: ILB Mario Harvey
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Marshall ILB Mario Harvey shows up on far more draft boards in Cleveland than he does across the whole mock-draft universe due to his status as a standout on an Ohio-area team that doesn't garner much notice outside the state.
Fans always like the idea of drafting the local players, especially the long-shot types who don't get much attention from the rest of the country on draft day.
In the interest of being totally objective, it has to be said that Harvey isn't this far down the board just because no one outside of Ohio/West Virginia had the chance to discover him. While Harvey has good strength and blitzes well, his size (6'0", 250 pounds) slows him down to the point where he can't react quickly enough to opponents and may struggle with producing as a pass rusher.
Still, Harvey is a hard worker, intensely enthusiastic and about as coachable a player as you can get. With some good instruction and practice, he might be able to develop into at least a passable inside linebacker for the Browns, making him well worth gambling a late-round pick on.
Other options: This is another pick I'm pretty attached to, so if Harvey is on the board here, I don't like the idea of going in another direction. But if Harvey is gone, there are a couple of WRs who are worth a look here. They are West Texas A&M's Stephen Burton, and for the hometown crowd, Dane Sanzenbacher, who is a viable pick at this slot for reasons aside from his OSU roots, namely, his great hands and excellent agility and body control.
Round 7 (Compensatory): WR Denarius Moore
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The Browns lost their seventh-round pick to Seattle as compensation for Seneca Wallace, but have another compensatory pick later in the round.
Even if the Browns have taken a top-notch receiver earlier in the draft, I'd like to see them take another here with their final pick as extra insurance.
Seventh-round picks are always low-risk and high-reward, and while most don't pan out all that well in the NFL, sometimes the last round does contain some buried treasure.
Looking at WRs who might be left on the board late in the game, I like Denarius Moore from Tennessee. Moore probably projects as a late-sixth or early seventh-round choice, but as anyone who has ever tried to project late rounds in a mock draft knows, things get so squirrely by the end of the fifth round that pretty much anything is possible.
I like Moore for his ability to track the ball and time his routes, his intelligence, his good hands and his explosive burst of speed off the line. On the downside, scouts have noted that he doesn't get good separation and doesn't break tackles well. Still, I think he's a steal if he lasts until late in the seventh round.
Other options: If Moore is off the board at this point, other receivers who might be a good pick at the end of the draft are Michigan State's Mark Dell, DeAndre Brown from Southern Mississippi or Stanford's Ryan Whalen.
One other thing to consider here in the seventh round is a kicker. Phil Dawson has been franchised by the Browns, so obviously he'll be the team's place kicker this season. However, Dawson's career is coming to an end, and now might be a good time for the Browns to snap up a kicker for the future.
That means Nebraska kicker Alex Henery might be worth taking here. Henery might be off the board before this point in the draft, and I wouldn't suggest going after a kicker earlier just to get him, but if by chance he's still there in the seventh, the Browns would do well to solidify their future at kicker by taking him.
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