ESPN's Mel Kiper, who is now technically one of the most accurate mock drafters (in the mainstream media) after Rick Gosselin dropped out, released his final mock draft today. His previous edition consisted of two rounds and had Cleveland drafting RB Trent Richardson, OG Cordy Glenn, and QB Brandon Weeden (in that order). This time, Kiper only did one round. He has a subset of the same players going to Cleveland still, but this time Weeden has moved into the first round at No. 22 overall. This mock draft also included projected trades for Kiper, which undoubtedly makes this mock different than his previous ones. Kiper's reasoning for his picks is after the jump.
No. 4 - RB Trent Richardson - I'm sticking with Richardson here. The Browns are in serious need of help on offense, and given they have some talent along the offensive line, Richardson can be successful early, and take a lot of pressure off the quarterback. The Browns have other needs, but need and value line up here.
No. 22 - QB Brandon Weeden - For weeks we've seen Weeden as a great fit for the Browns at No. 37 overall. The problem is Weeden is the last QB in the draft after RG3 that most front office folks believe can start games early if called on. The Browns really want to find competition for Colt McCoy. If they don't get Weeden here, they risk losing him. They know they can still get a good player early in Round 2. I think you secure the QB here.
I know we're just about "mocked out," but feel free to reflect on Kiper's picks. I may post a few more final media mocks later tonight.