Cleveland Browns: 2016 Final Mock Draft

Does anybody know what the Cleveland Browns will do on April 28th? The Browns traded the number two pick to the Eagles, collecting an additional five picks over three years and the eighth pick overall. Still, there are questions. The number eight pick is essentially no man’s land for a team that may have put themselves just out of reach for an impact player. Like every year, the Cleveland Browns are the talk of the draft and their needs somehow seem to never be met. With analytics running the show, it seems like this could be the year that they pull the trigger on a few impact players (could be was the key word there).

The quarterback situation has an essential stop gap with Robert Griffin III. While Griffin had his injuries in the past, it’s been over a year since his last major injury and he hasn’t taken any hits in that time. If Hue decides to pass on a QB in the first 32 picks, then he’s essentially endorsed Griffin as the quarterback for the upcoming season. Griffin has been working with QB guru Tom House in hopes of revitalizing his career after three years of disappointment.

Cleveland’s defense was bad last year but not nearly as awful as everyone is making it out to be. Losing Gipson to free agency and letting Donte Whitner and Karlos Dansby walk won’t be nearly as detrimental as some may think. Whitner was past his prime and Dansby was on the decline at the age of 34. Losing Gipson hurts when you look at his 2014 campaign, but Poyer was just as good overall in 2015 which made Gipson serviceable.

The Browns new front office are hoping that they can change the culture in Cleveland and right the ship for the first time this era. The roster needs some fixing but with coaching and discipline, the Browns have a chance to build towards their future starting with this draft.

Next: Round 1