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Remember when there were fans who were upset that the Browns chose running back Trent Richardson over wide receiver Justin Blackmon in the first round of the 2012 draft. In fact, you might have been one of them.

The Browns instead drafted Josh Gordon, a raw but talented receiver, in the second round of the supplemental draft. It looks like that was the right decision so far.

Gordon has been the NFL's most explosive rookie receiver this season and has outplayed Blackmon through seven weeks. Gordon has 14 catches for 333 yards (23.8-yard average) and four touchdowns. Blackmon has 14 receptions for 126 yards (9.0-yard average) and no touchdowns.

Here are some of Gordon's accomplishments:

• Gordon is leading all NFL rookies in receiving touchdowns (4), receiving yards (333), receptions of 20 yards or longer (5) and ranks fourth in scoring (24) and is tied for fourth in receptions (14).
• He has an NFL rookie-best 333 receiving yards. He is on pace to set the Browns’ rookie receiving yards record (Kevin Johnson had 986 yards in 1999).
• After catching a 33-yard touchdown at Indianapolis on Sunday, he became the first Browns rookie to record three consecutive games with a touchdown reception of 30 yards or longer and first NFL rookie to accomplish that feat since Randy Moss did it in four straight games in 1998.
• With four touchdowns on the season, Gordon is the first Browns rookie to score four or more receiving touchdowns since Andre’ Davis recorded six in 2002.

Gordon has been far from perfect, even during his current hot streak. His drop near the goal line in the fourth quarter Sunday likely cost Cleveland the game. But the Browns were impressed with how he handled that mistake.

"I talked to him and he’s a full-grown man," coach Pat Shurmur said. "He understands what’s going on and he’s hard on himself. I think that tells me that [he’s] got a chance to improve and we’ve seen great improvement from him. I expect that he’ll get better next week.”

The Cleveland Browns still have a big problem at wide receiver. But they still would have a problem at that position even if the team had selected Justin Blackmon with a top-five pick in the draft.

Blackmon, who was taken No. 5 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, was arrested on an aggravated DUI charge Sunday in Oklahoma. Authorities said Blackmon registered a .24 percent blood-alcohol level, which is three times the state's legal limit for driving.

The NFL will likely view him as a first-time offender even though this is Blackmon's second DUI arrest in three years. While Blackmon is expected to avoid a suspension, this incident is troubling when you're about to invest millions in a prospect.

There was a lot of clamoring for the Browns to take Blackmon in the draft, and he would've certainly upgraded Cleveland's receiving corps. This weekend, though, wouldn't have been as quiet if the Browns had chosen Blackmon.

It will take a few years before we'll find out whether the Browns made the right decision by taking running back Trent Richardson over Blackmon (just ask Jim Brown). For the time being, the Browns have another reason to feel like they made the right move.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has made some changes to his last mock draft -- the biggest one comes at the Browns' No. 4 pick.

Kiper now has the Browns selecting Oklahoma State Justin Blackmon instead of Alabama running back Trent Richardson. "The Browns may go running back here," Kiper wrote, "but I think they could target the best wide receiver on the board and look for help in the running game later, possibly at No. 22."

While you'll need a subscription to read the entire Insider piece, here's how Kiper has the rest of the draft unfolding for the AFC North teams:

17. Cincinnati Bengals: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

21. Cincinnati Bengals: G-T Cordy Glenn, Georgia

22. Cleveland Browns: RB Doug Martin, Boise State

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: NT Dontari Poe, Memphis

29. Baltimore Ravens: LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

Most assume the Cleveland Browns will take running back Trent Richardson with the fourth overall pick. But, at this point, the Browns can't assume he's going to be available when they're on the clock.

The Minnesota Vikings could be the Browns' worst enemy because they're apparently shopping the third overall pick.

One team that the Browns apparently don't have to worry about is the New York Jets. A day after speculation started that the Jets could be interested in trading up 13 spots to take Richardson, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported Thursday that there is a "zero-point-zero percent chance" the Jets will make such a move.

A bigger threat to take Richardson away from the Browns is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently have the No. 5 pick. This would be an easier trade to work out, but the Buccaneers might not be willing to give up any picks. Tampa Bay has several needs and only six draft choices.

Another team to watch is the St. Louis Rams, who are at No. 6. ESPN's Todd McShay estimated that there's a 20 percent chance that the Rams would trade up for Richardson.

"They are infatuated with Trent Richardson," McShay told ESPN's "Mike & Mike In the Morning", "and would at least consider it or try to see if they would get a good deal to move up."

If a team trades up to get Richardson, the Browns will have an opportunity to move down because there will teams interested to move up for offensive tackle Matt Kalil. According to the NFL Network, the Buffalo Bills are thinking of jumping from No. 10 to get Kalil and would give up their second-round pick (41st overall) to do so (which would almost satisfy the draft-pick value chart). The Browns could fall back to that spot and get Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd.

It's also possible that the Browns don't care if Richardson is there or not. Cleveland could be targeting Oklahoma wide receiver Justin Blackmon or LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at No. 4. In that scenario, the Browns would take a running back like Boise State's Doug Martin with their second first-round pick (22nd overall) or their second-round one (No. 37).

As this blog gets posted, it's officially 12 hours before the first round of the NFL draft begins. This will be a special edition of "Wake-up Call" where we survey what the local beat writers are predicting for the teams in the division.

Everyone in the division believes the Browns will take running back Trent Richardson at No. 4 except the Browns' beat reporter. Likewise, everyone has the Browns take wide receiver Kendall Wright with the 22nd overall pick except the Browns' reporter.

There were a few surprises in these mock drafts. Two reporters had wide receiver Michael Floyd sliding to the Bengals at No. 17, and two reporters had the Ravens taking offensive tackle Mike Adams, who reportedly tested positive for marijuana.

Here are the mock drafts from the local reporters:

Joe Reedy, Cincinnati Enquirer

4. Browns: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

17. Bengals: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

21. Bengals: DE-OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

22. Browns: WR Kendall Wright, Baylor

24. Steelers: NT Dontari Poe, Memphis

29. Ravens: G Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

---

Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland Plain Dealer

4. Browns: WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

17. Bengals: WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

21. Bengals: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

22. Browns: RB Doug Martin, Boise State

24. Steelers: ILB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

29. Ravens: OT Mike Adams, Ohio State

---

Matt Vensel, Baltimore Sun

4. Browns: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

17. Bengals: ILB Luke Kuechly, Boston College

21. Bengals: CB Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama

22. Browns: WR Kendall Wright, Baylor

24. Steelers: G-T Cordy Glenn, Georgia

29. Ravens: ILB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

---

Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

4. Browns: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

17. Bengals: WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

21. Bengals: DE-LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

22. Browns: WR Kendall Wright, Baylor

24. Steelers: NT Dontari Poe, Memphis

29. Ravens: OT Mike Adams, Ohio State

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

If Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw or inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower is still available at the No. 20 pick (which is currently held by the Titans), the Ravens will try to trade up to get one of them, according to the Sporting News' Mike Preston.

"Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is a former Alabama great and has all the inside skinny information on both players," Preston wrote.

According to Preston, Baltimore also likes Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill. The Ravens know he isn't a polished route-runner, but they think he has great potential.

Hensley's slant: Upshaw and Hightower have been popular picks for the Ravens recently. Upshaw can replace Jarret Johnson, and Hightower can learn from Ray Lewis. And trading isn't out of the question for the Ravens, who have made a move in the first round in three of the past four years.

BENGALS: Head coach Marvin Lewis hinted that the team will use its two first-round picks on defense, according to the team's official website. The Bengals have taken offensive players in the first round in the past three drafts. Asked at his pre-draft press conference if this draft is tilted to offense or defense, Lewis pointed at defense because, "Maybe we have more needs defensively." After taking defensive end Carlos Dunlap in the second round in 2010 he said, "We've kind of neglected defense over the last couple of years." Hensley's slant: I would be surprised if the Bengals used both first-round picks on defense because there should be quality offensive players available at the bottom half of the first round. It would make sense for Cincinnati to pick up a guard (David DeCastro and Cordy Glenn) or a wide receiver (Kendall Wright and Stephen Hill) with one of those top picks.

BROWNS: Will the Cleveland Browns pass on Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon one year after not selecting wide receiver Julio Jones? "Last year had nothing to do with the player," Browns general manager Tom Heckert told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It had everything to do with the deal we were able to make. We loved Julio Jones." Blackmon had 232 catches for 3,304 yards and 38 touchdowns the past two seasons with Oklahoma State. He's only the second player to win the Biletnikoff award twice as the nation's best receiver (the other was Michael Crabtree). Hensley's slant: If the Browns take Blackmon fourth overall, it cause a lot of head-scratching. Blackmon isn't in the same class as last year's No. 4 pick, wide receiver A.J. Green, and he isn't graded as high as Jones. There will be better value for wide receivers later in the first round.

STEELERS: If Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe and Alabama's Hightower are still available at the Steelers' No. 24 spot, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette thinks the team will go with Poe. But Bouchette doesn't see Poe starting immediately unless Casey Hampton (knee) is sidelined. "It sounds as if he's one of those who can use a little grooming first," Bouchette wrote. Hensley's slant: I agree that the Steelers likely have Poe rated higher than Hightower. But Hightower is more likely to be there when the Steelers are drafting. It will take a handful of interested teams to pass on Poe for him to fall that far.

While Alabama running back Trent Richardson has become the popular first-round pick for the Cleveland Browns, no one knows for sure what they're going to do at No. 4 because they have so many needs.

Richardson can be the pick because the Browns let Peyton Hillis sign with the Kansas City Chiefs and didn't replace him in free agency. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon could be the choice because the Browns don't have a No. 1 wide receiver. And Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill might be the selection because the Browns have made it known they are looking to upgrade at quarterback over Colt McCoy.

This is why ESPN's Todd McShay writes in this week's "Hot Button" that the Browns have the toughest decision in the top 10 this year.

McShay thinks Tannehill has the potential to be "a major upgrade" over McCoy:

What makes that choice even harder is that having a quality quarterback is the surest way to beat the system in today's NFL. The spending limits imposed by the salary cap mean teams have more holes than ever, and no player on the field can exploit more of an opponent's weaknesses than the quarterback.

McShay, though, says it looks like the decision will come down to Richardson and Blackmon:

Alabama RB Trent Richardson is the most complete back to enter the draft since Adrian Peterson in 2007, but Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon has the skill set to be the next Terrell Owens.

After months of debating what the Browns will do, the wait will finally be over in a couple of days.

Here's a quick analysis to go along with the video report by ESPN's Todd McShay:

Justin Blackmon

Position: Wide receiver. School: Oklahoma State.

Possible AFC North destination: Browns

Positive: Known for being a competitive playmaker who has strong and reliable hands. Negative: Lacks elite measurables with average speed and ordinary height.

Projection: The top wide receiver in this draft class, Blackmon should go in the top 10. If the Browns pass on him, he is expected to get selected by St. Louis at No. 6.

Browns general manager Tom Heckert told reporters that the team would like to keep the No. 4 pick and it has narrowed that choice down to two unidentified players.

Many believe those two players are Alabama running back Trent Richardson and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. If that's the case, the choice should be Richardson. It’s not just me saying this. When you look at the alternatives, you’ll be saying this as well.

Everyone will agree that Richardson and Blackmon are the top prospects at their position. But the Browns can address wide receiver later in the first round or early in the second. Cleveland can’t do that a running back.

There is no one close to Richardson or his combination of power and elusiveness. At running back, there’s Richardson and everybody else. The second-tier running backs -- Virginia Tech’s David Wilson, Boise State’s Doug Martin and Miami’s Lamar Miller -- are second-round talents.

At wide receiver, Blackmon ranks No. 1 but he has his flaws. He doesn’t have elite size or speed.

The Browns can get a receiver with size late in the first round with South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery. They can get one with speed with Baylor’s Kendall Wright. They can get one with speed and athletic ability with Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill.

Heckert downplayed a report that he favors Blackmon over other possibilities at No. 4. "Everything you've heard is complete nonsense," he said.

He also needs to resist the temptation of moving down. They have 13 picks in this draft, including three of the first 37. Cleveland should stay at No. 4 and be thrilled to add an offensive playmaker. As I said previously, this draft for the Browns is about quality, not quantity.

There’s no question that the Browns need to draft a running back and wide receiver. When taking a big-picture look at both positions, there’s no question that the pick should be Richardson.

It's that time of year when you can find hundreds of mock drafts all over the internet. But I want to hear what you think the teams in the AFC North should do in the first round.

Each day, we'll tackle one pick and have you vote on it. Once we get through all six first-round selections by early next week, I will compile an AFC North fans' mock for the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers.

Today's pick is the Cleveland Browns and the fourth overall pick. Here are the choices:

WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State: The top-rated wide receiver in the draft, Blackmon has great hands and runs hard after the catch. He lacks elite speed and size for the position.

CB Morris Claiborne, LSU: Considered the top defensive player in the draft, Claiborne is a confident press cover corner. The one negative is he had an unimpressive combine performance.

RB Trent Richardson, Alabama: He's the clear-cut No. 1 running back coming out of college this season. He's physical and elusive. The only knock against him is durability.

QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M: A fast riser for the past month, Tannehill has the size, arm strength and mobility to be a franchise quarterback. The risk here is he started 19 games in college.

Trade down: Browns general manager Tom Heckert is known for wanting to stockpile picks. There could be a couple of teams wanting to move up for Tannehill or Blackmon.

How interested are the Cleveland Browns in Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon? No one will truly know until the Browns are on the clock on April 26.

Sources recently told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that Browns general manager Tom Heckert "loves" Blackmon. There is logic behind this: the Browns need a wide receiver, and Blackmon is the top one in this year's draft class.

But what if the Browns want to make everyone think they are more interested in Blackmon than they really are? As one of our blog followers, Kovacs from Dallas, pointed out to me, the Browns have great motivation to create such a smokescreen.

Browns president Mike Holmgren made it clear he felt the St. Louis Rams didn't play fair when they traded the second overall pick to the Washington Redskins and not Cleveland. The Rams, who now have the sixth pick, are reportedly very interested in drafting Blackmon.

So, in the spirit of gamesmanship, the Browns could be floating misinformation that they are thinking of taking Blackmon with the fourth pick. This might force the Rams to use one of those valuable picks acquired from the Redskins and move ahead of Cleveland for Blackmon.

I can see why the Browns would be interested in Blackmon. He has great hands (and the Browns finished tied in the NFL in the most drops in 2011) and has a competitive style of play that is valuable in the red zone.

But I also see why the Browns wouldn't be interested in taking him so high. He lacks the elite speed the Browns need at that position.

Of course, we all could be reading into this too much. Maybe the Browns are crazy about Blackmon and think he is this year's A.J. Green. But part of the fun about this time of the year is trying to figure out what is fact and what is fiction.

The start of the NFL draft is 10 days away, and according to one report, the Cleveland Browns are undecided on whom to take.

Sources told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that Browns general manager Tom Heckert "loves" Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, while team president Mike Holmgren is trying to decide whether Cleveland should take Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Browns had their pre-draft visit with Tannehill today.

It's hard for me to believe the Browns have Blackmon and Tannehill rated above Alabama running back Trent Richardson. Blackmon is the top-rated wide receiver in this draft class, but he lacks elite speed. Tannehill could develop into a franchise quarterback, but it's too much of a risk to take a quarterback with 19 college starts with the fourth overall pick.

While I think the Browns would be making a mistake to take Blackmon, others disagree with that opinion. Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. believes Blackmon going to the Browns is "a perfect marriage between need and value." You'll need a subscription to view the entire Insider piece, but here's a portion of what Horton wrote:

If Blackmon is their guy, he fits well in an offense that badly needs playmakers. With Brad Childress as the new offensive coordinator, this will likely still be a West Coast scheme with precise routes designed to get yards after the catch, something Blackmon does well. The Browns were near the bottom of the NFL in 2011 in yards per pass and red zone success, two areas Blackmon can immediately upgrade. The Browns wanted to upgrade the receiver position in free agency, but that didn't happen. With it now looking as if they'll start the season with Colt McCoy at QB, the Browns must get him a weapon who stretches the defense more than the group they have now. Blackmon could certainly take pressure off Greg Little, who managed 61 catches as a rookie in 2011.

I still see Richardson as the safest and best pick for the Browns. He can touch the ball 20 to 25 times per game, which takes the pressure off McCoy. Richardson will immediately become the centerpiece of the Browns' offense, which will open up the passing game for McCoy on play-action fakes.

We'll just have to wait until April 26 to see what the Browns really think.

We've been debating what the Cleveland Browns should do with the fourth overall pick for months. And, like many of you already know, I'm in favor of taking Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

Bill Polian, former NFL general manager and current ESPN analyst, feels the same way and calls Richardson a "perfect fit" for the Browns. But he also explores why the Browns might trade down in his latest Insider column. As Polian points out, Mike Holmgren's teams often find their running backs later in the draft or through free agency.

Here's a portion of what Polian wrote:

I can't see Richardson falling past Tampa Bay at No. 5, so if another team targets him -- and I think the St. Louis Rams at No. 6 could be such a team -- it'll need to jump up to No. 4 to secure him. That puts the ball in Cleveland's hands, and with multiple needs it could opt to pass on Richardson, move down and set its sights on CB Morris Claiborne or WR Justin Blackmon, whichever player falls to the No. 6 spot.

This scenario is more of a long shot in my mind, but given the past organizational tendencies in Cleveland and the attractiveness of Richardson as a draft prospect, it's possible the Browns could opt to add more assets (likely third-round picks) and address a need other than their backfield.

Trading back makes little sense to me. Cleveland loses more than it gains in this scenario. The Browns need an offensive playmaker more than the top defensive player in the draft (Claiborne), and they can get a wide receiver with more speed than Blackmon later in the first round. By taking Richardson at No. 4, the Browns get one of the elite players in this draft and by far the best running back in this class.

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

Sources familiar with Browns general manager Tom Heckert told the Canton Repository that he is leaning toward trading out of the No. 4 pick without dropping too far.

The paper speculates that the Browns' pick could draw interest from the St. Louis Rams (No. 6 overall) and Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 7). Those teams need wide receivers and might want to beat the other to Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon.

Trading down to those spots could land the Browns additional picks in the second and third rounds, according to the paper.

Hensley's slant: The extra picks would be beneficial to the Browns' rebuilding project, but they would lose out on Alabama running back Trent Richardson in the process. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to take Richardson at No. 5 if the Browns pass on him. By falling back to either No. 6 or No. 7, the Browns would have to take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. He's the best defensive player in the draft, but he won't help the Browns' struggling offense.

BENGALS: Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth is excited about what the Bengals have accomplished in free agency and what the team is bringing back from last year's playoff team. "I think we can win the Super Bowl with Andy [Dalton] and all the other guys we've got in that locker room," Whitworth told the team's official website. "But you have to go year by year. Each year is different and has nothing to do with the year before. The way some of our young players played last year is the reason we are where we are. If they get better and stronger and more experienced, then we'll get better. But we're not going to know until we get on the field this year." Hensley's slant: The Bengals can make up their most ground on the Steelers and Ravens in the draft, where they have three of the first 53 picks. They still need to find a starting guard and a No. 2 wide receiver. And, before Bengals players can talk about the Super Bowl, they need to end the team's 22-year drought of not winning a playoff game.

RAVENS: The Ravens have now shifted their search for another pass-rusher away from free agency. “Probably more of our attention is toward developing our guys and toward the draft," coach John Harbaugh said at the owners meetings, via the team's official website. Baltimore brought in free-agent defensive end Mark Anderson for a visit, but he ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills. Hensley's slant: I'm intrigued by Clemson's Andre Branch, an athletic defensive end who can provide a pass rush but also move to outside linebacker in a base 3-4 defense. Branch is projected to go toward the bottom of the first round. Don't forget about the possibility of Baltimore using its first-round pick on Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones, who is the younger brother of current Ravens defensive lineman Art Jones.

STEELERS: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette said it wouldn't be surprising to see the Steelers draft a running back early despite needs on the offensive and defensive lines. He said there are possibilities in the second round along with the likes of Miami's Lamar Miller in the third or Baylor's Terrance Ganaway later on. "That offensive line might look a whole lot better blocking for a good back," Bouchette wrote. "You can never have enough good running backs and while the Steelers do have enough running backs, no one knows if they’re any good or not." Hensley's slant: The Steelers know they can't count on Rashard Mendenhall (ACL surgery in January) to be fully back this season and they probably think of backup Isaac Redman as a stopgap player. If the Steelers go for a running back in the second round, they should select Virginia Tech's David Wilson, a speedy back with big-play ability.

General manager Tom Heckert said the Browns might consider trading down from No. 4 but they won't drop below the top eight for a reason.

"There's going to be five guys that we really like," Heckert told the Cleveland Plain Dealer at the NFL owners meetings.

So, who are in the Browns' Fab Five in this draft?

Removing the presumed top three off the list (Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Matt Kalil), I honestly don't think there is a Fab Five. It's more like a Terrific Two with Trent Richardson and Morris Claiborne.

In the spirit of playing along, this would be my prediction for the Browns' five targeted players:

• Trent Richardson, Alabama running back
• Morris Claiborne, LSU cornerback
• Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State wide receiver
• Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M quarterback
• Quinton Coples, North Carolina defensive end

This is a busy week for the Browns, who will be hosting several big-name prospects for pre-draft visits. According to the Plain Dealer, Richardson, Claiborne, Blackmon and Tannehill will meet with the Browns this week.

Also scheduled are: Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus, Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins and Virginia Tech running back David Wilson.

Now, it's your turn. Give me your list for the Browns' Fab Five (and take out Luck, RG3 and Kalil) and see how it matches with mine. Remember this isn't your list of the best five players remaining. This is your prediction of what the Browns are thinking.