As the 2015 NFL Draft nears, ClevelandBrowns.com is ramping up its coverage to ensure fans know everything about the team's potential picks.
The Browns have two of them in the first round, of course, so there's plenty of turf to cover.
"Browns draft radar" will give you a glimpse at the nearly two dozen names being mentioned in the same breath as the Cleveland Browns. Today, we dive into the second running back on our list, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon.
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
Why the Browns would be interested: The only FBS player to post more than Gordon's 2,587 rushing yards in 2014? Barry Sanders back in 1988 with Oklahoma State. Nobody in the country outside of Ohio State could figure out how to slow down Gordon, who finished as the Heisman runner-up to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and led the nation with 29 rushing touchdowns. Gordon rushed for an astounding 408 yards on 25 carries in a 59-24 win against Nebraska. Even with young running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West in the fold, the Browns could consider a player of Gordon's caliber if he's viewed as the best player available.
Why he could be around at 12 or 19: If you want to be nit-picky, Gordon needs to improve as a pass blocker and 19.2 percent of his runs went for less than 2 yards. While Gordon is more than a home-run hitter along the lines of Chris Johnson, his task in the NFL will be to prove he can push the hole for 4 yards consistently. The Giants at No. 9, Dolphins at No. 14 and Chargers at No. 17 have been linked to him.
Why he won't be around at 12 or 19: Gordon averaged an enormous 7.6 yards per carry in his last two seasons at Wisconsin. He's shifty in space, has long strides and his vision to find holes is unparalleled to his competition at running back in this draft class. A running back-needy team like Baltimore or Dallas could think Gordon is the real deal and trade into the middle of the first round for his services.
Thing to know: Wisconsin nearly made Gordon a defensive back when he arrived in Madison.
Quote to note: "Every running back is different. I'm not Jamaal Charles. Jamaal Charles is his own man. He's a phenomenal player in the NFL. We are similar, but he's got that little burst. I don't think I have that. But I try to take different things from each and every player that's in the league that's successful and just try to mix in my own game." – Gordon
The last time: … The Browns drafted a player in the first round from Wisconsin? Left tackle Joe Thomas, who has now been to eight straight Pro Bowls to begin his career.
