The Cleveland Browns had a rough season but can be looking to make a huge splash in this year’s draft. They are looking to change their luck compared to the past couple of years, in 2013 they only drafted five players and only two of those players were taken before halfway through the draft. They don’t even have the first round draft picks they selected in 2012 which ended up being the most impactful year. This year the Browns have 10 picks which is a large amount and half of those picks are in the first 100 picks of the draft. That gives them room to not only look for good football players but young players who can be plugged in and used automatically, which they could benefit from.
Needs: QB, WR, OL, ILB
Quarterback: The Browns haven’t had a consistent player at quarterback in a long time. After Brandon Weeden failed to meet their expectations, they are looking to have someone to come in and compete with Brian Hoyer who did have a good start but ended up with injuries. They may look at taking someone at the number four slot but most likely will be patient and pick someone up with the second pick they have in the first round.
Wide Receiver: The wide out depth in the Browns’ roster isn’t exactly where they may want it to be. They do have an upcoming star with Josh Gordon and picked up Hawkins for a good slot option but I don’t see someone lining up on the other side of Gordon. This draft is full of candidates for that position but if the Browns are not in love with someone, they might hold out and pick someone up in the second round. This year’s depth at wide receiver might give them the chance to.
Offensive Linemen: Last year the Browns gave up 49 sacks to opposing pass rushers and were ranked 28th in the league for rushing yards. Needless to say offensive line is a big need that they need to address and I think they will do so earlier in the draft. With a high pick like number four they can take an offensive lineman, which would be the wise choice. If they do take an offensive lineman at number four they will be closer to having the dynamic offense they are striving to have.
Inside Linebacker: The Browns did have one thing going for them last year and it was how their defense was playing. They lost key players to the free agency but seemed to find replacements for each of their losses. The 3-4 defense require not only good depth at the inside linebacker position but two starters who can make a huge impact during a game, they have Karlos Dansby but are missing his partner in crime. The big problem is that this year the position isn’t looking at major superstars and it also is one of the positions with the least depth in the draft. They will address the problem but will do it with one of their later picks unless someone falls that they feel they cannot pass up.