CLEVELAND TEAMS

Mel Kiper posted his thoughts on what the top 10 teams in the likely draft order need going into the 2012 NFL Draft.

Here’s his take on the Browns:

Top needs WR, DE, RB, QB

Scenarios: Greg Little has shown flashes, but the Browns could use another threat in the passing game. Jabaal Sheard has been as good as I hoped he’d be when I talked up that pick back in April, but they could really use someone on the other side of the formation to balance the pass rush. Then it gets really interesting.

I agree with Todd McShay that the Browns could be the rare team that is willing to pick a running back high in the draft, with Alabama’s Trent Richardson the obvious name. Peyton Hillis is likely to play somewhere else in 2012, and Richardson fills that hole. But besides that, there’s a real question regarding Colt McCoy and how committed to him the Browns are. Although I wouldn’t predict it now, the Browns could be in the picture for Griffin.

I agree with everything here. It all revolves around McCoy and whether the Browns want a QB in the draft with their top pick. I can see them going with Richardson as a running threat can open up the offense and take pressure off of the quarterback. Mike Holmgren had his own stud running back from Alabama with Shaun Alexander.

I think they will naturally take a hard look at Robert Griffin III, but I think he might not be there when the Browns pick.

With a disappointing season winding down and with Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert unwilling to say definitively that Colt McCoy with be the guy next season, Browns fans are starting to think about the draft, and all the buzz seems to be around Robert Griffin III. The kid has a great arm, he’s smart and has excellent character. He’s also a dual threat and came out of nowhere to win the Heisman this year. Now he’s rocketing up draft boards.

One key to his draft status will be his height. He’s listed as 6′ 2″ so we’ll need to see his actual height when he goes to the NFL combine. We’ve seen with Colt and others that size can be critical for quarterbacks in the NFL.

Assuming his height checks out, this kid will get a ton of attention. It will be fascinating to see if Holmgren decides to go after a QB in the first round and which player he targets. With extra draft picks the Browns can move up if necessary.