BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns entered the 2015 NFL Draft with 10 picks, and after three trades, they finished the league's annual selection meeting with 12 players whom they hope will make an impact when they take the field this fall.
The Browns selected seven defensive players, including linemen Danny Shelton (No. 12) and Xavier Cooper (No. 96), linebackers Nate Orchard (No. 51) and Hayes Pullard (No. 219), safety Ibraheim Campbell (No. 115), and cornerbacks Charles Gaines (No. 189) and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (No. 241). The Browns also added five offensive talents, including lineman Cameron Erving (No. 19), running back Duke Jonson (No. 77), wide receiver Vince Mayle (No. 123), and tight ends Malcolm Johnson (No. 195) and Randall Telfer (No. 198).
"We took the players that we liked," Browns general manager Ray Farmer said. "It's not about taking somebody with name recognition. It's not about taking somebody for any other reason than besides we think the guy's a good football player. From my perspective, I think we just take guys that we like and we think can play the positions they're going to be asked to play.
"In the three days, I think we did a good job of sticking with the plan. We know who we want to be. We know where we want to go, and we know before you build the roof and you put the walls up, you've got to build the foundation. For us, that starts up front. We want to be great on both lines. We want to be able to dominate the line of scrimmage, and we want to play Cleveland Browns football.
"I think we brought guys in here that will play like Browns. We've got guys in here that will compete and play relentless, chase the ball on defense and be aggressive on offense. I'd say the core of football is about imposing your will on your opponent, and we're going to try to do those things."
In 53 career games with the University of Washington, the 6-foot-2, 339-pound Shelton made 111 unassisted tackles and helped on 97 others for a total of 208 stops from the interior of the defensive line. He had 24.0 tackles for lost yardage, recovered seven fumbles, registered 11.5 sacks and had five additional hits on opposing quarterbacks.
During his final season with Washington, Shelton registered 93 total stops -- 53 solo tackles and 40 assists -- with 16.5 tackles for lost yardage, five fumble recoveries and three hits on opposing quarterbacks. He had nine sacks for 33 lost yards in 2014.
Erving started his career at Florida State on the defensive line, but switched to the other side of the football and used his 6-foot-6, 308-pound frame to clear the way for the Seminoles' potent offense.
A red-shirt senior from Moultrie, Georgia, Erving was a first-team All-American (CBS Sports) in 2014, and received similar recognition fromThe Sporting News, USA TodayandSports Illustratedin 2013. He was a two-time winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given annually to the Atlantic Coast Conference's best blocker as selected by head coaches and defensive coordinators in the league.
Erving moved to left tackle in 2013 and was named an All-American. Then, midway through the 2014 season, he moved to center, and was able to earn All-ACC status at two positions along the offensive line. With Erving leading the way, the Seminoles averaged 33.7 points and 441.4 yards per game during the 2014 season.
A standout pass rusher at the University of Utah, Orchard was named to 10 different All-American teams, including first-team selections from Walter Camp, the FWAA, ESPN.com,Phil Steele, Scout.com and SB Nation, and second-team nods from the Associated Press,The Sporting News, USA Today,and FoxSports.com, after registering 18.5 sacks for 118 lost yards in 13 starts for the Utes last fall.
In addition to his pass rushing ability, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Orchard registered 54 solo tackles, 30 assists, 84 total stops and 21 tackles for 123 lost yards season. The Los Angeles native finished his collegiate career with 25 sacks for 158 lost yards, 186 total tackles and 38.5 tackles for lost yardage.
The 5-foot-9, 206-pound Johnson rushed for a University of Miami-record 3,519 yards and 26 touchdowns on 526 carries. He earned the start in 25 of his 33 career games with the Hurricanes, and averaged 6.7 yards per carry.
In addition to his prowess on offense, Johnson showed an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, as he turned 69 career receptions into 719 yards and four touchdowns, including a long score of 37 yards last season. He also returned 41 kicks for 1,288 yards -- an average of 31.8 yards per return -- and two touchdowns while at Miami.
A co-captain for Northwestern and second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection by league coaches, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Campbell registered 39 solo tackles, 15 assists, 54 total stops, and one tackle for lost yardage, forced four fumbles, recovered another, defended three passes and intercepted three throws, which he returned for 79 yards in only eight games last season.
During his four-year career at Northwestern, Campbell registered 192 solo tackles, 124 assists and 316 total stops, 7.5 tackles for lost yardage, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 24 passes defended, and 11 interceptions.
Although the 6-foot-2, 219-pound Mayle played only two years at Washington State, he showed a penchant for making plays for the Cougars. Last fall, Mayle hauled in 106 receptions for 1,483 yards, including a long catch of 90 yards, and nine touchdowns. He also returned nine kicks for 177 yards.
In his two years with the Cougars, Mayle caught 148 passes for 2,022 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also averaged 13.66 yards per reception during his time at Washington State.
Mayle was the first wide receiver selected by the Browns since they chose Travis Benjamin out of the University of Miami (Florida) with the 100th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and the first in 13 picks made by current general manager Ray Farmer.
Until taking Mayle, the Browns were one of only four teams since the start of the 2014 NFL Draft to not select either a wide receiver or tight end. The Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons were the only other teams who had not selected a pass catcher over the last 10 rounds of the draft.
A 5-foot-11, 190-pound cornerback from Miami, Florida, Gaines made 36 total tackles, including 31 solo stops and five assists, during his final season at Louisville. Gaines registered one sack for 15 lost yards, intercepted two passes, broke up 10 more throws and defended 12 others. He forced one fumble in 2014.
During his two years as a defensive back at Louisville after making the switch from wide receiver, Gaines made 48 solo tackles, 10 assists and 58 total stops. He intercepted seven passes, returned them for 118 yards and broke up 17 throws.
Although Gaines has shown athletic promise, he has also displayed an ability to find trouble away from the field. He was twice suspended under the leadership of former Louisville coach Charlie Strong for what was termed as insubordination.
A 6-foot, 235-pound tight end, Johnson caught 28 passes for 380 yards with three touchdowns during the 2014 season. In his career at Mississippi State, Johnson hauled in 79 passes for 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns.
During his college career, Johnson showed versatility, and was not only a tight end, but projects to be able to switch to fullback at the NFL level.
At 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds, Telfer, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, caught 65 passes for 648 yards and 12 touchdowns in four years with the Trojans.
During his final year at USC, Telfer caught 21 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns. His most productive season in his collegiate career came during his freshman career. He hauled in 26 passes for 273 yards and five touchdowns, all of which were career highs.
Although known for his toughness, Telfer was unable to work out at USC's Pro Day because of a left foot injury. He was only able to do the bench press at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, and did 20 repetitions at 225 pounds.
In 13 games with the Trojans last season, Pullard made 53 solo tackles, assisted on 42 others, and had 5.5 tackles for seven lost yardage. Able to drop into coverage, Pullard intercepted one pass and returned it 19 yards, broke up eight more passes and defended nine other throws. He also recovered a fumble.
For his career, Pullard made 377 total tackles, including 25.5 for 81 lost yards. He also intercepted three passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown during the 2012 season for USC.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Ekpre-Olomu was projected to be a second or third-round selection earlier in the year, but missed the 2015 College Football Playoff semifinal against the Florida State Seminoles and the National Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
In 13 games for the Ducks last fall, he registered 43 solo tackles, assisted on 20 other stops, intercepted two passes, which he returned for 31 yards, broke up nine others and defended 11 more throws. He also forced a fumble in 2014.
In 53 career games at Oregon, Ekpre-Olomu, a native of Chino Hills, California, registered 161 solo stops, 83 assists and 244 total tackles. In addition to 6.5 tackles for lost yardage, he defended 48 passes, forced eight fumbles and recovered one other.
"We say 'Play Like a Brown' and that is something that we truly believe in and we have the words and the tangibles and you can go right down this list," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "You talk about guys that are competitive, guys that are relentless, guys that are tough. The one that jumps out, as well, and it's been a theme throughout, is productive. I think there is a lot of college production throughout this list of players that we took."
