Mel Kiper Grades the Cleveland Browns' 2016 NFL Draft With a C

ESPN's Mel Kiper graded every team's draft from this past weekend, including the Cleveland Browns' draft. Kiper stresses that his grades are based on the following criteria:

• How much overall talent did a team add, based on board position?

• How effectively did they address key personnel voids?

• How efficient were they in maneuvering on the draft board?

Kiper gave the Browns a letter grade "C," which was tied for the worst grade in the NFL (note: there were four teams that received a C, but no one was graded lower).

Cleveland Browns: C | Top needs: QB, WR, OL, S, DE

I think the Browns did the right thing when they traded down from No. 2 to pile up picks. If you want to rebuild your roster from the ground up, go get picks. And Cleveland has a lot of draft capital, with an extra first and second in 2017 and an extra second in 2018. But I did have an issue: This was not a bonanza, but it should've been. The clear trend I saw was that the Browns wanted to get deeper on the lines, particularly with the pass rush, and they also wanted to load up at WR and add some speed/deep threats.

Corey Coleman runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and Ricardo Louis (4.43) isn't much slower, and while you hope Josh Gordon will be back, these are the kind of players that provide insurance assuming he isn't. I would've liked Josh Doctson at 15, though. Seth DeValve is a move-tight end type, and Jordan Payton has great hands and is a special teams ace. Rashard Higgins has been productive and is a great route-runner. As for the lines, the Browns got a trio of pass-rushers in Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib and Joe Schobert, and I think that Schobert was a particularly good get in Round 4. Key with these guys: they were all productive. Shon Coleman is a needed addition at tackle, a high-character kid who could start on the right side as a rookie, and Spencer Drango is guard depth.

I think they should have gotten safety Justin Simmons at the end of Round 3 instead of reaching on Cody Kessler, a player who lacks starter upside. Safety Derrick Kindred helps after free agency further weakened the secondary. I believe the Browns are doing the right thing in piling up picks, but two things stand out: all the WR picks seem to go beyond simply how the board lined up, and felt a little excessive at the cost of other needs. Second, this draft will be in part remembered for what Carson Wentz becomes. With Cleveland, it always comes back to the QB. At least the next one has some weapons.

Despite Kiper giving the Browns a low grade, it sounds like he's assigning it with the understanding that Cleveland is setting themselves up to have more of a "bonanza" type draft in the future, such as when they'll have four picks in the first two rounds of 2017. He also doesn't care for the fact that the Browns added four wide receivers in the draft, which is understandable. Unless you're getting rid of all your current receivers, you don't have the roster spots for all those guys -- would it have been better to address a different position with one of those picks?

The Browns also received a C+ grade from SB Nation's Dan Kadar.

As we see with Pro Football Focus, though, they give the Browns a grade on the complete opposite end of the scale.