Defensive line. Pass rusher. Offensive line. Wide receiver.
All four positions have been labeled by draft experts as areas where the Cleveland Browns will look to upgrade in the 2015 NFL draft.
The head honcho of those draft experts, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., hosted a conference call with reporters Thursday. Kiper said the Browns should look to target a receiver with the No. 12 overall pick, but there's a strong chance that the big three at the position – Kevin White, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker – will all be gone by then.
If that's the case, Kiper reiterated the Browns will have plenty of alternative options that go well beyond the first round.
"I think if you want to look at wide receivers that down the line are going to be really good players in this league – you are going to get a lot of them," Kiper Jr. said.
The following chart shows the players Kiper listed as sleeper picks who could still make a strong impact in their rookie seasons.
|
Phillip Dorsett |
Miami |
5-foot-10, 185 pounds |
Second round |
36 catches, 871 yards, 10 TD |
|
Breshad Perriman |
Central Florida |
6-foot-2, 212 pounds |
Second round |
50 catches, 1,044 yards, 9 TD |
|
Tyler Lockett |
Kansas State |
5-foot-10, 182 pounds |
Second – Third round |
106 receptions, 1,515 yards, 11 TD |
|
Nelson Agholar |
Southern Cal |
6-foot, 198 pounds |
Second – Third round |
104 catches, 1,313 yards, 12 TD |
|
Tre McBride |
William & Mary |
6-foot, 210 pounds |
Third – fourth round |
64 catches, 809 yards, 4 TD |
|
Jamison Crowder |
Duke |
5-foot-8, 185 pounds |
Third – fourth round |
85 catches, 1,044 yards, 6 TD |
|
Justin Hardy |
East Carolina |
5-foot-10, 192 pounds |
Fourth – fifth round |
121 catches, 1,494 yards, 10 TD |
|
Stefon Diggs |
Maryland |
6-foot, 195 pounds |
Fourth – sixth round |
62 catches, 792 yards, 5 TD |
|
Dezmin Lewis |
Central Arkansas |
6-foot-4, 214 pounds |
Fourth – sixth round |
64 catches, 945 yards, 9 TD |
Kiper sees similar depth in the 2015 wide receiver draft class as he did in 2014. It's easy to overlook, but there were several non-first rounders from a year ago who had extremely productive rookie seasons.
Martavis Bryant, a fourth-round pick from Clemson, scored eight touchdowns for the Steelers in 10 games of action. A crowded receiver stable in Arizona didn't slow down third-round pick, John Brown, who still tallied 694 yards and five touchdowns. Jarvis Landry, a second-round pick by Miami, blossomed into a No. 1 receiving threat, hauling in 84 catches on 758 yards – as did fellow second-rounder Jordan Matthews with the Eagles. And right here on the Browns, Taylor Gabriel went from an undrafted free agent to a reliable pass-catcher who finished with 36 catches for 621 yards and a touchdown.
Of course, the Browns' needs at the receiver position could be different after free agency. Regardless, it's reassuring knowing there promises to be a surplus of playmakers available on Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft.
