The Cleveland Browns season is over. We will spend a good amount of time reviewing the season but we will spend even more time preparing for the off-season. Browns 2015 NFL Draft seems ready to be a very interesting one for the team. With 10 picks, including two in the first round, the Browns are ready to make noise again for the second year in a row.
Instead the 2014 started off strong and ended with a thud. Last year the Browns draft included a big trade down and the drafting of Johnny Manziel. While the first round hasn’t panned out yet, the rest of the draft seems to be great. It is likely that GM Ray Farmer and Head Coach Mike Pettine see a greater need for more veteran talent on a very young roster and we expect them to be aggressive in seeking to bring in that talent during Browns free agency.
After free agency we wouldn’t be surprised if the Browns tried to trade their picks to move up, to get another veteran or went with best player available instead of drafting for need. Farmer did this last year when he drafted Joel Bitonio, Terrance West, Christian Kirksey and others instead of drafting a wide receiver. We could see that again.
In preparation for such we will be taking a look at certain players that we think the Browns could target. Keep in mind we are not saying that these are players they are targeting, although some rumors may start to leak of the Browns having interest in them, instead these are players that we think the Browns could or should have interest in. Our profile will try to include as much information as possible to prepare you for the NFL Draft.
Name
Position
Quarterback
Height/Weight (Combine)
6’4″, 231 lbs
School
Florida State Seminoles
Stats (link)
2014 – 13 games; 467 Pass attempts, 305 Completions, 3907 yards, 25 Touchdowns, 18 Interceptions
2014 NFL Draft Comparison
Blake Bortles – 3rd overall (Jacksonville Jaguars ) – Bortles is the only one with no size concerns. He can make every throw necessary, if you allow for that occasional wobbler. Teammates respond to his natural, crunch time, tough-guy, take-charge leadership. Smooth athlete who moves well, scans field, identifies secondary targets and maintains excellent geometric technique to maximize accuracy, velocity. Work ethic is reflected in film study that often pushed curfew boundaries. Frankly: Think Ben Roethlisberger. OK, your call. – Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange
"Ben Roethlisberger, like Big Ben, Winston has all of the attributes to become an NFL star and champion, including the size, strength, poise and arm talent. Both have a tendency to hold the ball too long, putting undue pressure on their offensive line in an attempt to make the big play. Both also, unfortunately, have proven vulnerable to poor choices off the field, as well. – Rob Rang, CBS Sports"
2015 NFL Draft Range
Top 5 – 1st Round – Winston is a big, athletic, has a strong arm and moves well inside the pocket. Winston won the Heisman Trophy in 2013 while leading Florida State to an undefeated season and a BCS National Championship. In 2014 he completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,907 yards, with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
Fit with the Browns
At 6-foot-4, 231 pounds, Winston is a highly competitive pocket passer who played in a pro-style offense, which is an added plus compared to the majority of the other quarterback prospects. Winston showed an ability to anticipate throwing windows, and scan the entire field. The biggest question mark for Winston is everything off the field where a series of questionable incidents have raised concerns about Winston’s maturity and character, including a sexual assault charge, shoplifting and shouting a vulgar comment in the student union at FSU. Some teams may take Winston off their draft boards entirely, and the Browns could be one do to the issues with Manziel and Josh Gordon.
- Arm Strength – Winston can make all the throws he will need to in the NFL and puts decent velocity on the ball on short and intermediate routes. Winston tends to puts too much air under his deep balls and hangs them a bit, but most college quarterbacks do that and it can be fixed.
- Accuracy and Decision-making – Winston is pretty accurate with his throws when he makes the right read and delivers. Ball placement is a concern for Winston, he often would throw behind the receiver. Winston also struggled on the field with his decision making, he would often feel the pressure of the game and make questionable passes leading to interceptions.
Browns Player Selection Could Impact
Johnny Manziel, Thaddeus Lewis, Connor Shaw – The Browns have an obvious question mark at the quarterback position, which has been a rotating door of players since the franchise returned in 1999. If the Browns make the decision to move up in this draft, then they are fully committed to the quarterback they choose and all bets are off for the back half of the depth chart. Manziel, Shaw, and Lewis could all be impacted by a top draft picking being used on a quarterback, especially if the team commits multiple picks to acquire the player.
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Priority
Medium – Although the Browns have the trade ammunition to move up to acquire a player like Winston, it would make more sense to stay put and get the best players available and fill needs on the roster. There is a great chance that the Browns have a shot to land a top flight receiver Amari Cooper, Kevin White or DeVante Parker with the 12th overall pick, and of course they could land an impact defensive player in the 12 to 19 range like Washington’s Danny Shelton. The Browns organization is doing its due diligence until the quarterback position is locked in for the long-term, and until then they will actively evaluate every talent on the board.
What do you think about targeting Jameis Winston in the 2015 NFL Draft?
Next: Full Browns NFL Draft Profiles List
The video clips were provided courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com