It's been awhile since the Cleveland Browns have been competitive in the AFC North. After the first month and a half of the season last year, the Browns were playing well with Brian Hoyer. Unfortunately, Hoyer tore his ACL and the Browns looked lost for the rest of the season.
Looking forward to the 2014 NFL season, the Browns will have a new head coach in Mike Pettine and things are hoping to be better than they were in 2013 under Rob Chudzinski. The Browns have a top-5 pick and they will likely get an instant-impact type of player. Here is the Browns final preview.
Major Needs
Quarterback: With Hoyer going down with a knee injury, it doesn't look likely that he will be back in 2014. That being said, the Browns will look early in the draft to find their new quarterback.
Running Back: In what was the surprise trade of 2013, the Browns traded Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts in return for their first-round pick. In retrospect, that trade came out to be a good one for the Browns. Willis McGahee is no longer a starting running back and a new starter is a need.
Wide Receiver: Josh Gordon was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last season. Even though the Browns didn't have consistent quarterback play, Gordon was impressive as any. Imagine what he could do with a better quarterback and a receiver who can take some attention away from him.
Cornerback: Buster Skrine was moved inside and the Browns need a cornerback who can create takeaways opposite of Joe Haden. Both are also free agents at the end of the 2014 season.
Day One Targets
Johnny Manziel: If you're looking for a quarterback who can inject some energy into a franchise, Johnny Manziel is easily the guy. Although his game is unorthodox to say the least, Manziel has the "it" factor and he could very well be something special in the NFL.
Teddy Bridgewater: The "consensus" best quarterback is the draft may not be the first quarterback taken in this draft. A bad pro day has hurt his draft stock, but Teddy Bridgewater has the tools to be an elite NFL quarterback. With Gordon and Jordan Cameron around him, Bridgewater could succeed in this offense.
Sammy Watkins: I said earlier how the Browns could look into drafting a receiver to pair with Gordon. The top receiver in this draft is Sammy Watkins and he has the potential to turn into a game-changer.
Greg Robinson: Playing in a fast-paced Auburn offense, Greg Robinson flourished. He blocked for a Heisman candidate in Tre Mason and Robinson is capable enough to become a stud tackle on the blindside.
Day Two Targets
Tom Savage: One of the hottest names going into the NFL Draft is Tom Savage, a quarterback out of Pittsburgh. Savage has a lot of tools NFL executives like. He has a strong arm and he has a nice height for a quarterback. Savage has drawn comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger.
Bishop Sankey: One of the best running backs in the draft is Bishop Sankey out of Washington. Sankey is a complete back as he shows the ability to block in the passing game and he has great vision that helps him hit his holes.
Davante Adams: This year's receiver class is one of the best in recent memory and a ton of good receivers will fall till the second round because of the talent at the position. One of those players is Davante Adams out of Fresno State. Adams has good size and he has good hands too.
Jason Verrett: While he is a little small and he has trouble turning his hips, Jason Verrett out of TCU is an extremely fun player to watch. Verrett plays much bigger than he is and he has a type of swagger that radiates to the rest of the defense.
Mid-to-Late Targets
Jimmy Garoppolo: Although he went to a small school in Eastern Illinois, Jimmy Garoppolo is garnering a lot of buzz throughout the league. He has the size, arm, and technique to be a starting-level quarterback.
Terrance West: Like Sankey, Towson's Terrance West can do it all. West runs mad and he isn't afraid of stepping up and putting on a block in the passing game.
Brandon Coleman: The biggest receiver in the draft is Brandon Coleman out of Rutgers. At 6'6", 220 pounds, Coleman has unteachable size and a big catch-radius. His hands are wide, but he has tools you cannot teach.
Final Seven-Round Mock
Round 1a: Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Louisville
Round 1b: Jason Verrett, Cornerback, TCU
Round 2: Bishop Sankey, Running Back, Washington
Round 3a: Shayne Skov, Inside Linebacker, Stanford
Round 3b: Trai Turner, Offensive Guard, LSU
Round 4a: Trevor Reilly, Outside Linebacker, Utah
Round 4b: Aaron Lynch, Defensive End, USF
Round 5: Marqueston Huff, Free Safety, Wyoming
Round 6: Michael Schofield, Offensive Tackle, Michigan
Round 7: Dri Archer, Running Back/Offensive Weapon, Kent State