NFL Mock Draft: A Quick 4 Round Browns Mock

Jan 10, 2015; Euless, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) during practice at the Euless Trinity High School football field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Mariota can sit for a year behind Josh McCown to work on all of the concerns people have. Yes he is not Andrew Luck but how many are. Besides Luck and the Manning brothers there a few QBs in the last 10 to 15 years who were can’t miss. Even Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Big Ben and other “Franchise” guys were not sure fire bets.

Mariota has the size (though his frame needs a bit of strength), arm (not a cannon but can make every throw) and work ethic to be THE guy for the Browns. A year of developing and learning will help him work in the pocket and learn when a player is “NFL open” compared to the wide open windows he faced in Oregon.

Long time DPD readers know that Mariota and Danny Shelton have long been this writer’s favorite players for the Browns. After QB, the Browns biggest need is stopping the run. While Shelton would only be a 2 down player he would instantly upgrade the Browns run defense in a division that loves to run the ball. Shelton, Starks and Desmond Bryant would be a stout front three with Hughes, Billy Winn, Phil Taylor and Armonty Bryant providing the type of depth that Mike Pettine loves to keep players fresh.

Because Shelton is a two down player, and is more valuable to 3-4 scheme teams, he will likely fall farther down the board than we expected. While he can play in even fronts, he isn’t a penetrator that most want from their DTs. For the Browns he would help immediatley upgrade the worst run defense in the league and could catapult the team’s defense into the Top 5 overall. The Browns are that talented at the rest of the positions.

Next: 2nd & 3rd Round