2011 ROTB Mock Draft: Cleveland Browns Make Their Pick, 49ers On The Clock

Our community and writer mock draft is going well. There has been consensus for the past two selections between the writer GMs and the community GMs. Almost unanimously the selection of Von Miller was seen as a great pick. Now the Browns are up, who played tough all last season but unfortunately played in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens.

Who will it be? Blaine Gabbert is still on the board for the community. No quarterback has been selected yet. Gabbert is gone for the writer GM, but Cam Newton still is. B0rd3rline and RedBirdRevival have their picks revealed after the jump.

In the meantime, the dreaded San Francisco 49ers are now on the clock. SGM and JoeCB1991, you are up. Email me your picks and explanations by 11PM AZ time tonight. Note that the community member cannot draft a player previously drafted by the community and the same for the writers, but you cannot draft a player drafted by a previous writer.

After the revealing of the picks, the forum is open for healthy debate. Vote and comment away.

B0rd3rline:

Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

With the draft falling the way that it has thus far (for the community), the Browns pick becomes a little more difficult to predict. The first inclination was to take Fairley as the BPA here, but it seems most scouts think of him either as a 4-3 DT or a 3-4 DE, neither of which helps Cleveland much in their switch back to a 43 defense (as they already have Brian Schafering and Derreck Robinson to fill the DT roles). One of the toughest parts of switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 is finding a DE that is big enough to be a down lineman, yet athletic and quick enough to get around the OT to rush the passer. The Browns have a couple of players whom played the OLB position in the 3-4 in Marcus Benard and Matt Roth (who is a free agent), but they could really use significant help from the draft to make the transition easier.

It is with that in mind, that the Cleveland Browns select DE Robert Quinn out of North Carolina. Some scouts have projected him as a 3-4 OLB in the past, but he has the most experience as a 4-3 DE at UNC, and his stats (19 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, & 6 forced fumbles in 2009 alone) tell us he has the potential to be an elite pass rusher off the edge at the next level. The Browns in this position might have the slightest bit of hesitation with this pick, due to alleged "character concerns" stemming from his NCAA suspension, but in the long run his talent and potential to help the Browns transition to the 4-3 defense outweighs any of these concerns.

RedBirdRevival:

Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

A versatile DE, Bowers can disrupt any offensive play at any given time with his speed and strength. Finishing with 15.5 sacks and 26 tackles for a loss during his senior year at Clemson, Bowers has proved himself as one of the best pass rushers in college football and will likely be able to take his skills into the NFL. He is the best defensive end on the board and as GM of the Browns, I am glad he dropped to us!

Results of mock draft:

Draft assignments and team needs, according to drafttek.com