SB Nation Cleveland - 2012 NFL Mock Draft: With Draft Completed, Extremely Early Predictions For Next Year Are Out

NFL Mock Draft 2013: Browns Expected To Pick At Top Of The Draft Again Next Year

2012-04-30T14:44:34Z

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the books, and while the Browns added 11 new prospects, including a quarterback, many still predict that they will be right back at the top of the Draft again next April. Some early mocks for next season randomly order the teams, while others set up a Round 1 order based on their personal power rankings. Mocking the Draft already has two editions of a 2013 mock posted, and each one has the Browns drafting in the top three.

Matthew Fairburn had his 2013 mock up within minutes after the 2012 Draft concluded on Saturday evening, and he has the Browns picking No. 1 overall next season. Fairburn based the order on his current power rankings. While Matt Barkley is getting all the hype as next season's prize draft prospect, Fairburn has the Browns going another way at this point. His early prediction is that Tom Heckert will finally take an elite wide receiver, drafting Barkley's teammate, Southern Cal wide receiver Robert Woods.

The second version Mocking the Draft posted on Sunday loosely ordered the teams at random, still placing teams in tiers which landed the Browns at third overall. Josh D's mock does have the Browns selecting Barkley with the No. 3 pick, writing:

Barkley may be the QB who did the most in college and suffers the most post-season scrutiny leading up to the draft. He doesn't have the size of most top QB prospects, but has produced in an NFL system surrounded with NFL players.

In this early mock, Barkley is, in fact, the third quarterback to come off the board, behind Arkansas' Tyler Wilson and Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, head over to Dawgs By Nature. More news on the NFL can be found at the SB Nation NFL hub, and more news on the 2012 NFL Draft as it continues through the weekend can be found at the SB Nation NFL Draft hub.

2012 NFL Draft: Best Available Players Leave Browns With Plenty Of Options To Start 2nd Round

2012-04-27T16:45:35Z

After trading up to select running back Trent Richardson with the third overall selection and picking their apparent 'quarterback of the future' in Brandon Weeden at 22, the Cleveland Browns are expected to look to continue to upgrade the offensive side of the ball when Round 2 picks back up on Friday night.

Courtesy of Matthew Fairburn of Mocking The Draft, here his best available players that may be of interest to the Browns when they make their pick at 37:

15. Jonathan Martin | 6'6, 305 pounds | Offensive tackle | Stanford

Martin was a senior last year and protected the first overall selection, Andrew Luck at Stanford. Some have compared him to Matt Kalil and believe he will be a solid pro.

25. Cordy Glenn | 6'5 1/2, 346 pounds | Tackle/guard | Georgia

34. Alshon Jeffery | 6'4, 232 pounds | Wide receiver | South Carolina

The best remaining receiver on Fairburn's board, it is widely believed that Jeffery will be who the Browns target with their first pick in Round 2.

45. Mohamed Sanu | 6'2, 215 pounds | Wide receiver | Rutgers

55. Rueben Randle | 6'4, 208 pounds | Wide receiver | LSU

Round 2 Mock Draft: Walterfootball Has Cleveland Selecting Guard, Linebacker On Second Day Of Draft

2012-04-27T15:57:45Z

The Cleveland Browns had two picks in the opening round and will get two more in Day 2 of the 2012 NFL draft. They made two offense oriented moves in the first round, and WalterFootball's new re-draft adjusted to the first round's moves has them continuing that theme in the draft's second round.

In Round 2 the Browns pick up Georgia G/OT Cordy Glenn. Glenn fell out of the first round surprisingly along with a couple of other guys who have been projected as possible NFL left tackles. The offensive line is a need for the Browns and Glenn was projected as first round talent.

I get the feeling that some of the teams at the bottom of the first round didn't realize that Cordy Glenn was still on the board. The Browns have shown interest in him, so maybe they know he's still available.

Round 3 sees the Browns take their first defensive player of the draft in Levonte David, an OLB out of Nebraska. WalterFootball has given him good reviews before.

As discussed many times this offseason, the Browns need a third linebacker. Lavonte David is too good to pass up.

This would leave the Browns with only wide receiver left in their offensive needs list.

Round 2 Mock Draft: Browns Get Their Wide Receiver In 2nd Round

2012-04-27T13:07:54Z

With the first round in the books, Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren will now turn their attention to the second evening of the draft. As was the case on Thursday, Cleveland will have an early pick again, holding the No. 37 pick which will be the fifth of the evening. They made waves in the first, trading up to take Trent Richardson and then grabbing the quarterback of the future at No. 22. Will they go with another offensive skill position in the second round?

Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft thinks the Browns will do just that, grabbing the wide receiver that many thought they would get on Thursday. It's been reported that the Browns were going to take Kendall Wright at No. 22, but when he went off the board two spots ahead of them to Tennessee, they went with Weeden. Kadar thinks they'll now go another route on the outside, taking Alshon Jeffery out of South Carolina. Via Mocking the Draft:

It's likely the Browns go with the best offensive player on their board with this pick. If they want Weeden to be successful, he needs a few targets. Jeffery's motor may run hot and cold, but he can run the same type of routes Justin Blackmon did at Oklahoma State.

NFL Draft Order 2012: Cleveland Browns Pick At No. 4 and No. 22

2012-04-26T19:14:45Z

The NFL draft begins tonight and just as a reminder, the Cleveland Browns are picking at No. 4 and No. 22. All indications are that the Browns will be looking at either Alabama running back Trent Richardson or Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon with their first pick.

Pick	Team
1	Indianapolis Colts
2	Washington Redskins (from STL)
3	Minnesota Vikings
4	Cleveland Browns
5	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6	St. Louis Rams (from WAS)
7	Jacksonville Jaguars
8	Miami Dolphins
9	Carolina Panthers
10	Buffalo Bills
11	Kansas City Chiefs
12	Seattle Seahawks
13	Arizona Cardinals
14	Dallas Cowboys
15	Philadelphia Eagles
16	New York Jets
17	Cincinnati Bengals (from OAK)
18	San Diego Chargers
19	Chicago Bears
20	Tennessee Titans
21	Cincinnati Bengals
22	Cleveland Browns (from ATL)
23	Detroit Lions
24	Pittsburgh Steelers
25	Denver Broncos
26	Houston Texans
27	New England Patriots (from NOR)
28	Green Bay Packers
29	Baltimore Ravens
30	San Francisco 49ers
31	New England Patriots
32	New York Giants

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature. For all your draft and news, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL news hub. For analysis of the draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

2012 NFL Mock Draft: McShay Says Trent Richardson, Kiper Says Justin Blackmon

2012-04-26T17:58:05Z

There are just a few hours until Cleveland has it to make its first round pick, and at least two of the NFL's draft experts are split on who the Browns will take. ESPN's Todd McShay says it will be Alabama running back Trent Richardson and his colleague Mel Kiper Jr. thinks the Browns will pick Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

Kiper Jr. believes the Browns can find a running back later in the draft:

The Browns may go running back here, but I think they could target the best wide receiver on the board and look for help in the running game later, possibly at No. 22.

With their second pick of the first round, Kiper Jr. has the Browns choosing Boise State running back Doug Martin. McShay, however, believes this will be the time the team goes with a wide receiver, which will be Baylor wideout Kendall Wright. Concerns about Wright's weight have been made in the last few days.

2012 NFL Mock Draft: Browns Could Target Trent Richardson, Kendall Wright In First Round

2012-04-26T16:26:53Z

The Browns enter Thursday night's first round of the 2012 NFL Draft with two picks in the top 22, and many expect Tom Heckert to zero in on the offensive side of the ball with both picks. Cleveland certainly has needs at all the offensive skill positions, and a variety of mock drafts think they will choose a running back, wide receiver, or even quarterback with their two first round selections.

Visit SB Nation Cleveland's 2012 Draft StoryStream For The Latest News And Rumors

The latest edition of Mocking The Draft's first round projection has Trent Richardson going No. 4 overall. Dan Kadar thinks Richardson is simply too elite a talent to pass up, especially consider the current running back situation in Berea. Via Mocking The Draft:

Any number of players here would help the Browns, but none more so than Richardson. It's true, Cleveland's front office leaders Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert have never drafted a running back this high. But when your running backs are Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya and Armond Smith, an elite prospect like Richardson may be difficult to pass up. The Browns will also be considering Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon and Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

With their second first round selection at No. 22, Kadar thinks the Browns will fill another need at an offensive skill position, selecting Baylor wideout Kendall Wright. He has tumbled a bit in recent mock drafts after several originally projected him at No. 22. Kadar, however, thinks the Browns will still target Wright:

Forget his body fat index or 40 time. No wide receiver in this year's draft can get separation and make plays like Wright. Even though Colt McCoy doesn't have the strongest arm, Wright will find a way to get open for the Browns.

2012 NFL Mock Draft: Browns Target Offensive Skill Positions With 2 1st Round Picks

2012-04-26T14:18:16Z

The first round of the 2012 NFL Draft is less than eight hours away, and we still have no idea which way Tom Heckert and the Cleveland Browns will go with the No. 4 pick. There will certainly be plenty of rumors and smokescreens between now and the Browns time on the clock, but the mock draft projections seem to be narrowing the choices down to Justin Blackmon and Trent Richardson. The latest edition of the SB Nation mock draft from Ryan Van Bibber has Cleveland taking the wide receiver prospect out of Oklahoma State:

The silly world of constant speculation has devalued Blackmon's stock, only because he is not as high of an upside guy as last year's receivers in the draft. Whatever. He is still a good player. Cleveland is sticking with Colt McCoy this year, and Blackmon is a good pick for that offense.

While many others project Richardson going at No. 4, Van Bibber has the Browns filling their running back needs with their second first round selection at No. 22. He thinks Heckert will take Boise State running back Doug Martin:

By doubling down on Colt McCoy for another year, the Browns have to draft a running back. Martin can play all three downs and keep them in close games within the division.

By tonight, all the projections and predictions will be over and the Browns fans will likely have two new top prospects to get excited about.