The Cleveland Browns are playing the draft game well,as they discuss trading down and gaining picks as well as discussing various players that they have interest in.As we discussed earlier,the main two positions of need are along the defensive line and at wide receiver,but could the Browns avoid taking the best player in the draft,if available at the sixth pick?
That player would be LSU corner Patrick Peterson on our board.
Peterson reminds me of former Steeler and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson as I think the Browns could get several pro bowl level seasons from Peterson on the corner and then several more with a shift to safety later in his career.
If Peterson is there at pick six and the trade up offers are not enticing,do the Browns take Peterson and team him with Joe Haden for the next ten years despite their deficiencies on the D-line and at wide receiver?
A.J. Green of Georgia is the top pass catcher with Julio Jones of Alabama close behind Green.
There is a huge drop from Jones on down,so if the Browns do not tab one of the pair,the odds of the Browns improving their pass catchers immediately drops off strongly.I like Green better than Jones and if Green is there,Cleveland needs to make that move.
The Browns could trade down to maybe 10 or 11 and still possibly land Jones,but no guarantees on that.
A player that I like a lot that could be available in round two,if the Browns go DL in round one is Pittsburgh's Jonathan Baldwin.Baldwin might have been a top 15 pick in next year's draft,had he stayed at Pitt.
Cleveland's top need is defensive line,which is fortunate as that is the spot of the most depth in the draft.
Alabama DT Marcell Dareus will likely be off the board as the safest pick,but the other main talents will be there for the Browns-warts and all.
Auburn's Nick Fairley was dominant last season,but not heard from previously and didn't make tons of friends with dirty play.
Robert Quinn of North Carolina missed last season with agent difficulties and has a benign brain tumor to boot.Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson is the best of the bunch in my opinion at his peak,but comes with a high risk with a knee that some think will shorten his career.
Wisconsin's J.J. Watt looks to me to be more of a 3-4 end than in Cleveland's new 4-3 and I am not sure that the six pick is low enough for two players that I like,but not this high in Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan and Iowa's Adrian Clayborn.
If Cleveland goes green in round one,count on round two going here.
I don't see either Kerrigan or Clayborn still being around,but if they are-I would love to see Cleveland grab one of them.
Second round possibilities that I like include Iowa's Christian Ballard,Ohio State's Cameron Heyward,Texas' Sam Acho and North Carolina's Marvin Austin,who with the proper coaching and motivation could be among the best in this draft.
Austin would be a risk,but with a massive reward.
The Browns could use a mid round linebacker with the questions on D'Qwell Jackson's health and two that I love are Michigan State's Greg Jones and Nevada's Dontay Moch.
Jones is one of those backers that drops every year due to size or speed concerns and then he beats your brains out for the next ten years,while Moch is the fastest linebacker in the draft and I think could be huge off the edge.
Moch strikes me as a perfect Steeler type pick and I would be thrilled to see the Browns draft either of these guys.
Cleveland could use a change of pace back from Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty and with the West Coast offense in vogue,he better be able to catch the ball.
Two that fit that bill and will not go off the board too early are Oklahoma's Demarco Murray and Syracuse back DeLone Carter.
I would also be in favor of Wisconsin bulldozer John Clay,but I don't see the Browns going that direction as Clay is similar to what the team already has at back.
Cleveland will also likely take a developmental player at tackle or guard and maybe a safety as well.
All things considered and assuming the Browns stay at six,this would be my order of preference and assuming that these players would be available
1:A.J.Green WR Georgia
2:Patrick Peterson CB LSU
3:Julio Jones WR Alabama
4: Da'Quan Bowers DE Clemson
5:Nick Fairley DT Auburn.
Back tomorrow with the pick,IF I have time coverage of the Pirates 2-0 win over the Giants tonight.
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