The Cleveland Browns once again have a top five pick in the draft and this year is a monumental one for the franchise, as players like Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Sammy Watkins, Teddy Bridgewater or Jadeveon Clowney could turn around the fortunes of the team and they are the current targets for the Browns in the latest mocks from ESPN experts like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.
The Browns are likely going to take a quarterback in the first round of the draft and according to ESPN.com, the most likely pick is Blake Bortles and he comes in just ahead of Teddy Bridgewater, as those two players are considered more "pro-ready" than Johnny Manziel. Browns general manager Ray Farmer is not seeing Johnny Manziel on his pro day and while that doesn't always tell the full tale, in this case it is important to note since the Browns are clearly in the market for a QB after ditching both Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell this offseason.
The draft class in 2014 is a deep one and that means the Browns will get an impact player if they stay at number four, but there is a chance they could trade out of the pick if the first three selections do not play out favorably for the team. The Houston Texans will start off the dominoes and if they take a quarterback, the Browns could end up in a tough spot, as their top two quarterbacks and another one of their highest rated players could be off the board entirely by the time they pick and that of course depends on how the team rates the top prospects. The ESPN.com team blogger writes that the Browns like Bortles the best among the quarterbacks and that they are looking at Sammy Watkins and Jadeveon Clowney as realistic options as well.
Bortles has the physical tools to be a quarterback in the NFL and many scouts have compared him to Ben Roethlisberger based on his size, although he is considered "more raw" than Bridgewater. Manziel could be a fit with the Browns, but some scouts have wondered whether his size is an issue along with his improvisational style of play. Bortles comes in after throwing for 3,581 yards with 25 touchdowns and just nine interceptions and he showed some great mobility as well and the Browns could see that as a huge plus when it comes to drafting him.
The Browns could look to draft Watkins and that would put more depth at a position of strength, as the team has Josh Gordon, Greg Little and Travis Benjamin coming back already and that would make for one of the fastest groups in the NFL. Watkins was highly productive at Clemson and while the Browns don't have a legit QB to throw to him yet, that could come later in the draft if they take Watkins, or they could go with Brian Hoyer after he got off to a nice start last season before getting injured. The Browns have a major decision to make and if they mess this one up, it could cost the team even more years of rebuilding after they traded away Trent Richardson and ditched fellow first round pick Brandon Weeden.
