This is the third perfect draft I’ve done so far and seeing as there’s no way I can get through all 32 teams, we might as well get to one of the most interesting teams coming into the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Browns come into this draft with 10 picks and six in the first four rounds so there’s no excuse to enter the 2015 with a markedly improved team than last year’s 7-9 squad. If I had any faith in their head coach Mike Pettine or front office I might expect things to work out. As of now, it’s a toss-up.
The best thing that happened to Cleveland’s chances this year has already wrapped up, with quarterback Johnny Manziel completing a voluntary extended stint in rehab. A Johnny Football without the albatross of his off-the-field issues and addictive personality hanging around his neck has the potential to be an incredible football player. No one has ever doubted it and since the man himself has made the effort to change his fate, I’m excited to see what happens for him and the Browns.
The Browns have also unveiled new uniforms that I unabashedly hate, but there’s a psychology to uniform changes and, for whatever reason, it usually coincides with a playoff berth that same year. I don’t make the rules, but a real, clear-headed Johnny Manziel and a good draft equals a pretty good Browns team.
First round, No. 12
Devante Parker, WR, Louisville
2014: 43 catches, 855 yards, five touchdowns
With Josh Gordon likely never to return to Cleveland, the Browns have actually made some smart moves in free agency this season, signing Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline to already shore up their wide receiver position before the draft. They still need to add a big-time playmaker and the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Parker is that guy. The only issue with the Browns taking Parker at this pick is that he might not be there if there’s a run on wide receivers early.
First round, No. 19
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
2014: 123 carries, 911 yards, nine touchdowns
The Browns got a competent season out of Isaiah Crowell at running back last year, but Gurley is a game-changer. A mentally together Manziel, plus Parker and Gurley you should have AFC North defensive coordinators needing a change of shorts for the next 10 years. Gurley is the best multi-purpose offensive weapon to come into the league since LaDainian Tomlinson. Again, the only issue here is if Gurley is there at 19.
Second round, No. 43
Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
2014: 39 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, two sacks, one pass defense, one fumble recovery
The Browns are loaded on defense in the back eight, but need to get better up front in their 3-4 scheme. Phillips will be the best tackle available at this spot and at 6-foot-5, 329 is a prototype space eater in that defensive system.
Third round, No. 77
Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
2014: 62 catches, 733 yards, four touchdowns
Funchess isn’t going to burn the house down with speed but at 6-foot-4 and 232 with a sky-high vertical, he’s ready to take on linebackers and safeties in the NFL like a Jimmy Graham or Antonio Gates. Funchess wants to stay a wide receiver, but his 4.70 speed won’t get that done. What it will do, however, is make him a Pro Bowl tight end.
Fourth round, No. 111
Anthony Chickilo, DE, Miami
2014: 41 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, three passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble
Chickillo is one of those high-motor guys that can be an every down defensive end in a 3-4 package. At 6-foot-3, 267 he has the size and strength to get a push into the line and eat up blockers, freeing up the linebackers behind him to make plays.
Fourth round, No. 115
Rob Havenstein, OG, Wisconsin
Havenstein played tackle in college, but will likely be a guard in the NFL. At 6-foot-7, 321 he has size that you can’t coach. He’ll be a project for a while and a reserve, but if the Browns can coach up Havenstein into a starter, the right side of their line will be a bulldozer.
Fifth round, No. 147
Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State
2014: 62.3 completion percentage, 3,164 yards, 15 touchdowns, eight interceptions
While I’d give Manziel every opportunity to be the guy in Cleveland, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t select a little insurance. The Browns need three quarterbacks anyway (as does every team, really), so you might as well grab a guy like Mannion, a 6-foot-6, 229-pound four-year starter that can make every NFL throw.
Sixth round, No. 189
Justin Coleman, CB, Tennessee
2014: 42 tackles, four tackles for a loss, four interceptions, nine passes defended
Coleman is a steal at this spot in the sixth round. He’s been hidden on some mediocre Tennessee teams in his career, but Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is a Vols fan and from Knoxville, so there’s no reason he should be in the dark about Coleman’s abilities.
Sixth round, No. 202
Bryce Hager, ILB, Baylor
2014: 114 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, two sacks, two passes defended, two forced fumbles
The Browns will probably add an inside linebacker or two in free agency after the draft, but Hager is a good project and a smart player who could sneak into the starting line up by his second season.
Seventh round, No. 229
Zach Vigil, ILB, Utah State
2014: 156 tackles, 20.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, one interception, five passes defended and one forced fumble
No reason to just get one underrated inside linebacker when you can get two with your final pick. Vigil is the victim of Utah State and their weekly 10 p.m. game on ESPN 42 that’s barely watched as you drunkenly eat potato skins at a Buffalo Wild Wings. Those numbers are ridiculous and if he played at an east coast school, he wouldn’t project so low. He’s just the kind of player the Browns need.
