2015 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns Draft Class Recap

1st Rd – 12th Overall

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Danny Shelton (Washington) poses for a photo after being selected as the number 12th overall pick to the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Danny Shelton

The 6-foot-2, 339-pound Shelton is a player born to play in the AFC North Division.

According to his draft profile at NFL.com, “(Shelton’s) thick frame and powerful upper body (means he) has moments where he can dominate at the point of attack. He was forced to chase sideline to sideline due to the nature of Pac-12 offenses, but when he faced downhill competition like Stanford, he stepped up. Shelton is an above-average interior pass rusher for a man his size, thanks to his surprising athleticism. He is a fit in a two-gap scheme and could benefit from playing fewer snaps than he was forced to play at Washington. He has an All-Pro ceiling.”

But it gets even better Browns fans.

According to CBSSports.com, Shelton is “built like a Coke machine and he’s just as tough to move. Natural wide-body with thick thighs that help him anchor, even against double-teams. Surprisingly coordinated and flexible despite his square-ish frame, frequently splitting double-teams to wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage, including blocking three kicks. “Possesses a powerful bull-rush to walk centers deep into the pocket and slides off blocks easily to grab hold of  ball carriers nearby. Shelton is surprisingly light on his feet and plays with terrific effort in pursuit, rushing to the sidelines and downfield against the run and pass. He locates the football quickly and has a legitimate short-area burst to close.” Shelton should make an immediate impact on a Browns defense that in 2014 ranked 27th in the NFL in yards per carry (4.5), 28th in runs of 20-plus yards (16) and 32nd in rushing yards per game (141.6). He joins a defensive line rotation with Phil Taylor, John Hughes, Randy Starks, Billy Wynn and Desmond Bryant that has the potential to start making opposing running backs work for their yards.

After months of speculation that the Browns would move up to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, general manager Ray Farmer either couldn’t pull off a deal that wasn’t one-sided against the Browns, or simply chose to stay put and draft a player that will fill one of the teams biggest holes.

Next: 1st Rd - 19th Overall