Cleveland Browns Draft Preview-Players of Interest

The Cleveland Browns have several needs as we addressed earlier and while most of the focus is on the fourth pick,the Browns also have the Falcons first rounder at 22 and their own pick in the early second round at 37.

If the Browns do their job,those selections should fill three spots in the starting lineup.

The question are pretty simple at 4-Do the Browns take the best player at their position or positions of highest need?
Or do they take who might be their highest rated player on the board?
Three players stand above the rest that might be available at the Browns pick at four,at least two will be on the board and perhaps all three.

Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon is the best receiver in the draft and to me,I think by a sizable margin over Michael Floyd of Notre Dame.
Alabama's Trent Richardson will be the top rated back by far and has been compared to Adrian Peterson by some experts.
Both positions are badly needed and it is very possible that the position selected at four could have the other be the target at 22.
LSU corner Morris Claiborne might be the best player on the board and even though corner is not a position of huge need,but a Joe Haden/Claiborne tandem might be the type of pairing that is so good that teams will have their passing games taken away and that has some appeal to me!

There are a few running backs that would be helpful at either 22 or 37.
Doug Martin of Boise State would be the best every down back,but David Wilson of Virginia Tech is a close second.
I like LaMichael James of Oregon,but as much as I love his all around skills,I am unsure if he can stand up under a pounding of an every down back.

The wide receivers are a bit deeper for the Browns second  and third picks,so I can see the argument for Trent Richardson at 4 and a pass catcher later.
Notre Dame's Michael Floyd should be the only other receiver than Blackmon to be off the board by the time the Browns pick at 22.
Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech is this seasons player that stands out for his physical skills that looks to be a boom or bust player.
Kendal Wright of Baylor is highly regarded and has great speed,but I am unsure about his height (5'10) against the bigger NFL corners.
I really like Alshon Jeffrey of South Carolina and he might last to 37.
If I was convinced that Jeffery was available at 37,I might hit right tackle at 22.

As far as the offensive tackles go....
I love Riley Reiff of Iowa and I doubt that he will drop to 22,but if so,Reiff would be a slam dunk to me.
Bobby Massie of Ole Miss is a pure right tackle that would be a nice fit at 37 and Jonathan Martin of Stanford would be a consideration at 22 depending on the other players available and certainly at 37.

The Browns need more speed at linebacker and if I could add one player it would be Demario Davis of Arkansas State.
Davis looks to be the speedy sideline to sideline backer that would be a perfect fit to replace Scott Fujita.
I know many are down on Vontaze Burfict of Arizona State after a down season and poor combine performances,but I would not give up on him.
If Burfict was available anytime after the fourth,I would have to give real consideration to him.
A motivated Burfict could be a star.

The safety that I like that might be available in the third or fourth round is Markelle Martin of Oklahoma State.
Martin has the physical tools and can lay the wood down when receivers go over the middle.
Martin is an interesting player to me.

I would rather the Browns fill holes than go after a quarterback early,but three passers that have caught my eye were huge Brock Osweiler of Arizona State,Kellen Moore of Boise State and G.J. Kinne of Tulsa.
Osweiler is raw but his tools are big time and he might go in the second to fourth round.
Moore or Kinne might be available when the Browns start using the untradable compensation picks in the sixth and seventh rounds....

If the Browns stay at four,the team could pick any of the three players (Blackmon ,Claiborne and Richardson) and I would be pleased.
If I was making the pick,I shade towards Blackmon,but not enough to howl if they go with one of the other two....

I hope to get a Browns day one post up tomorrow with the Devils-Panthers Game seven as well......