Mel Kiper Drops the Browns' 2013 NFL Draft Grade to a C-

ESPN's Mel Kiper re-graded the 2013 NFL Draft last week (insider article). Immediately after the draft, Kiper gave the Browns a C+ for the draft they put together, which admittedly wasn't much. Cleveland's new grade has them declining slightly to a C-. Kiper's explanation is listed below:

Post-draft grade: C+

Summary: I was skeptical about early impact from this class. At the time I wrote: "Mingo adds depth at outside linebacker, but he's going to need some developmental work because he played with his hand on the ground at LSU. After that, there isn't a lot here that you'll see in 2013."

The whole system issue may have been overstated, but the fact that Mingo still needs development wasn't. He's just not a three-down player at this point, and was pretty inconsistent with his pass rush. After that? Well, there isn't much at all. McFadden got some decent reps late and could start next season, but it's all wait-and-see after that.

New grade: C-

I can't blame Kiper for grading the Browns so low; in fact, a grade of C- seems a bit generous. Mingo saw a lot of playing time this season, but he really needs to have a strong offseason to avoid being labeled as a bust. The most impressive rookie might have been Armonty Bryant, but the rest of the guys didn't get much playing time.

Cleveland already conceded that they were putting more of their chips in the 2014 NFL Draft, though, which is something that needs to be taken into consideration. In 2011, Kiper improved the Browns from a B+ to an A-. In 2012, Kiper improved the Browns from a B- to a B.

Everyone in the AFC North declined this year, as the Bengals dropped from an A- to a B+, the Ravens dropped from an A- to a B-, and the Steelers dropped from a B to a B-. The highest "new" grades in the NFL were given to the Detroit Lions (A) and the San Diego Chargers (A-); everyone else had a lower grade.