With about two weeks to go before the draft, ESPN's Todd McShay released his fifth mock draft of the year. This time, he put a different spin on things -- for each pick, he included a write-up on multiple other scenarios that could take place.
In the last edition, McShay had wide receiver Justin Blackmon and offensive tackle Mike Adams going to Cleveland in the first round. This time, McShay has the Browns taking a different offensive lineman at No. 22 overall, and a whole new position at No. 4 overall. (cue the groans) McShay's picks and write-up regarding the Browns is after the jump.
No. 4 - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Scenario 1: I've said all along that this pick will decide how much of the rest of the first round plays out, and I still feel that way. From an overall standpoint, Richardson ranks ahead of Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon and Tannehill, in that order, but from a positional-value standpoint the list would be reversed. The Browns face a tough decision, but Richardson is likely to be the pick.
Scenario 2: Blackmon would offer current QB Colt McCoy the kind of perimeter weapon he has been lacking since entering the league.
Scenario 3: Take Tannehill. It all comes down to how Cleveland feels about Tannehill and his potential, and whether the team is content to stand pat with McCoy and build around him.
No. 22 - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Scenario 1: Cleveland would like to see Wright fall here to give McCoy another playmaker to work with.
Scenario 2: Not taking Tannehill in the top five shows a willingness to build around McCoy, and with Wright gone Martin offers a plug-and-play option who is familiar with the West Coast offense and zone-blocking principles.
Scenario 3: Reach for a second-tier quarterback. However, not taking Tannehill makes it unlikely the Browns would reach for a player like Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden, who would be a bigger reach and offer significantly less upside at this point.
Give me Scenario 2 and Scenario 1 at picks 4 and 22, respectively, and I would be an extremely happy camper. To come away with a starting wide receiver and a starting offensive tackle, both players who would be of a high caliber, would allow this team to take some more risks in the later rounds on niche players.