This week, I'm going to preview the position needs for the Browns in the upcoming NFL Draft. The following is the third part of a very special late-running five-part series. Each position will be given a draft likelihood — strong, average and low.

Likelihood: Strong

What's there: Except for Kamerion Wimbley, the position is a little dicey. Willie McGinest and Antwan Peek are still there, and Shantee Orr was brought in via free agency. None of those three will strike fear in opposing offenses and are probably best-served as backups.

Position strength in draft: For a 3-4 team, the strength at linebacker is only average. There is quality at the top of the position, but it likely won't be there when the Browns draft. That means general manager Phil Savage will take a risk on a player who can develop.

Who to target: Shawn Crable (Michigan), Stanford Keglar (Purdue), Curtis Johnson (Clark-Atlanta), Bryan Kehl (Brigham Young), Bruce Davis (UCLA), Darrell Robertson (Georgia Tech)

Final thoughts: The Browns have worked out each of those players outside of Davis and Robertson. Even if they take an outside guy in the fourth round, it's unlikely Crable will be there. If he is, they snag him. Keglar is solid player, but incredibly similar in style to Orr and Peek. They're just not playmakers. I've honestly never seen Johnson, but he has the measurables (6'3, 242, 4.63 40-yard dash). Kehl I like a lot, but he might not be a 3-4 guy.

In college, Davis and Robertson were both undersized defensive ends. How they transition to outside linebacker is unknown. Some (re: Luke), think Davis can't bulk up and play outside. I kind of disagree. For the scoop on Robertson, check out his scouting report. Basically, it says he's perfect for a 3-4, but is likely a third-round player.

The pick: Because Robertson may be one, I'm going with Davis, as long as it's the fifth round. McGinest can still hold up against the run, so Davis could be broken in purely as a pass rusher.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at 3:56 pm and is filed under NFL Draft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.