2015 NFL Mock Draft: Shawn Oakman Browns Second Pick #TDRMock
The Cleveland Browns exciting season doesn’t preclude us from being excited about the NFL Draft. We are participating in a Twitter community 2015 NFL Mock Draft representing our Browns. We have already drafted Amari Cooper, you can read all about the trade up details and reasoning behind the move here, and now we are on to our second first round pick.
The Browns defensive line is full of names many people like but the performance has been severely lacking. The perfect fit would be a stud nose tackle but none here match the value. After searching for a way to recoup some value lost in the Cooper trade, it was time to make a selection.
With the 15th pick in the 2015 NFL Mock Draft, #TDRMock, the Cleveland Browns Select Shawn Oakman, Defensive End, Baylor.
Oakman is a physical specimen who could take a little time to develop. He has been measured between 6’8″ and 6’9″ and is a chiseled, muscular specimen. He has great quickness to go along with his strength and size. As a 3-4 end he can push the pocket and get into the backfield in the pass game while holding double teams in the run game to allow the linebackers to make plays. For the season he is credited with 6 sacks to go along with his 35 tackles. He is just beginning to scratch the surface of his ability to dominate.
Before we talk more about his fit with the Browns in this 2015 NFL Mock Draft, lets take a look at what some of the draft experts have to say about Oakman:
"Oakman sits at the opposite end of the size spectrum, standing a monstrous 6-9 and 280. And he moves like a tight end. Again, a defense would be covered regardless of whether it rolls with a 3-4, 4-3 or a combo. Oakman can handle the edge in a four-man front or slide to a five-tech in a three-man look. There is a world of potential here."
"Powerful and shockingly athletic given his massive (6-8, 275 pounds) frame, Oakman possesses the kind of traits teams are willing to gamble on."
"Oakman has the freakish size, length and athleticism that will be attractive to both 3-4 for 4-3 base defenses."
Pretty clear how much of an athlete, size/speed combo, freak that Oakman is. Here is an interesting spotlight on Oakman from ESPN:
For the Browns can’t be anything but excited about this guy on the Browns defensive line.
Fit
The Browns play a 3-4 and Oakman can fit in there perfectly. His length allows him to hold off blockers and command double and triple teams which makes the life of the linebackers much easier. Mike Pettine is talented in getting the most out of his defensive line and could cause havoc with Oakman.
As stated earlier the Browns biggest need is inside at nose tackle but it is possible that Pettine will continue to use Phil Taylor there, returning him to the nose from end against the Bengals. Oakman may need a year to develop but with Armonty Bryant, Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn and John Hughes the Browns could be filled with players that could control the line of scrimmage. Oakman’s upside is higher than anyone on that line.
Other Options
Defensive end Dante Fowler, defensive tackle Danny Shelton and a number of offensive linemen are options at this point as well. If the Browns had not traded up for Cooper, who we think is far and away better than any other receiver in this draft or the previous one, Kevin White or Devin Funchess would also be options.
If the Browns do not trade up, we actually expect they would be more likely to trade back, including possibly for a pick next year, than we expect defensive line, offensive line and receiver to be selected in the first 2 rounds of the draft. That would address many of the Browns needs.
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First Round Haul
In this #TDRMock 2015 NFL Mock Draft the Browns come away with the best offensive skilled position player and the defensive player with the highest upside, and possibly biggest bust potential. With a team that has come together well this season, that also has a ton of young talent, the Browns now add some elite talent.
With Cooper, Josh Gordon, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel and Jordan Cameron the Browns offense could hum. With Oakman added to the defensive line the run defense would improve quickly and the pressure applied to the quarterback would increase, which would help the backend.
Looking Forward
The Browns currently do not have a 2nd round pick. The #TDRMock is only 4 rounds long. When we return in the 3rd round we will be looking for a nose tackle and an offensive lineman. We expect the Browns to look for another inside linebacker, safety and corner as well in the draft.
What do you think of Cooper and Oakman so far in our 2015 NFL Mock Draft?