National Football League

Report card time for the Browns

Published May. 1, 2015 11:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Browns have whiffed pretty hard the last few times they've had a pair of first-picks. So will Danny Shelton and Cameron Irving be more like the 1978 draft class (Clay Matthews, Ozzie Newsome) or 2012 (Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden)?

We go around the web to sample the early grades for Ray Farmer's newest additions.

12. Danny Shelton, DT

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: This is a good, solid pick for a team that needs to get better against the run. Can he push the pocket, though? Grade: B

Chris Burke, SI.com: Simple. The Browns' defense just got tougher. Grade: A-

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: Shelton overcame considerable adversity to reach the NFL. He’s dedicated, motivated and strong as a team of oxen. The Browns got a bargain here. Grade: A

Dan Kadar, SB Nation: The Browns fielded one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season and got the player they've coveted throughout the entire draft process. Obviously Shelton will help the run defense, but don't discount his ability as a pass rusher. And even at 340 pounds, Shelton is still a pass rushing threat. While at Washington he was rarely taken off the field. Grade: A-

Walter Football: I always thought that Danny Shelton was a bit overhyped. He's a force in the middle, but it really worried me that he was gassed during the Senior Bowl. He'll be just a two-down defender, but to be fair, the Browns desperately needed to improve their run defense. They have to go up against Le'Veon Bell, Jeremy Hill and Justin Forsett twice per year, and they had a huge hole at nose tackle. I never bought him as a top-10 prospect, but he makes sense at No. 12. Grade: B

Bryan Fischer, NFL.com: Is there a player better suited to this division than Danny Shelton? He'll give the Browns a great boost in the middle of the defense. As good as their first pick was, though, their second wasn't quite as good -- grabbing Erving at No. 19 overall was much too early. Plus, his best position, center, is filled at the moment, so he'll need to transition to guard early on. Composite Grade: B

19. Cameron Erving, OL

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: I love the player, but where does he play? He was a left tackle and a center in college, but they have those two spots pretty much set in Cleveland. Why not a receiver? Grade: C+

Doug Farrar, SI.com: Erving does make sense here -- even to distressed Browns fans who would like to know why they didn't take a receiver with either of their first-round picks. Grade: B+

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: Erving is a very good player. But the Browns seem to have a mental block about drafting a wide receiver, no matter how much they need one and how many good ones are on the board. Call it Reverse Millen Disease. Grade: C

Dan Kadar, SB Nation: What do the Browns do with Erving? He played left tackle for Florida State before moving to center. At the draft he was announced as a guard. Obviously the idea is that he'll push John Greco for the starting right guard job, but is that something you want in a first round pick? Or are the Browns assuming right tackle Michell Schwartz or center Alex Mack leaves after this season? Schematically, Erving makes sense. But will he crack the lineup in 2015? And can Erving catch the ball? Grade: C

Walter Football: Uhh... did the Browns forget that they have Alex Mack? Was this a byproduct of Ray Farmer's suspension, or was Farmer too busy texting to remember that Mack was still on the roster? Cameron Erving projected as a solid center, but he won't be able to play that position in Cleveland. So, where does he fit in? Right guard? Right tackle? Erving can start there, but those aren't ideal spots for him. Perhaps Farmer should've actually drafted a real right tackle. Grade: C-