BEREA, Ohio -- Defensive coordinator Ray Horton said this Friday about 2015 first-round pick Danny Shelton: "I hope Danny at the end of the year is better than he is now."

Shelton was the first of two Cleveland Browns first-round selections in the 2015 draft -- with Cam Erving the second.

While nobody questions Shelton's work ethic or desire, the defensive lineman's play has been inconsistent. Last season he talked about the frustration of coming off the field in passing situations, and of wanting to make a bigger impact when he was on the field.

Browns nose tackle Danny Shelton hopes to make more of an impact in his second NFL season. Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire

Horton and the Browns moved on from two other first-round picks during the preseason. Barkevious Mingo was traded to New England, Justin Gilbert to Pittsburgh. Horton said they have asked Shelton to do some different things.

"We don't have a really older guy on the line that can say, 'This is how it's done,'" Horton said. "We're young up there too. Most of our guys are first- or second-year guys. So I've been giving him homework assignments of other players in the league to watch."

Watching could show Shelton how things are done at a high level, Horton said. In the preseason, Shelton was on the field in the third and fourth quarters more than most starters usually are; Horton called it part of the team's preseason evaluation.

"We're trying to play Danny more than just first and second down," Horton said. "A lot of those (plays) came on third down."

Horton said there are two types of nose tackles in the NFL, the big run-stopping guy who plugs the middle, or a guy who can move a little and make plays between the numbers. Shelton can be the latter kind of player, Horton said.

"I don't want to say I'm disappointed, because I'm not," Horton said. "I know what his upside is and we've got to get him there."

ESPN's Bill Polian said at the time of the '15 draft that no NFL player had ever succeeded at Shelton's position when running a 5.65 40-yard dash. The NFL Network ran a comparison of Shelton's quickness and 40 speed to Kansas City's Dontari Poe, and it was revealing -- and in some ways shocking. Poe has a 3-yard lead after 20 yards and a 5-yard lead after 40.

The Browns, though, said the film showed Shelton was a guy who made the most of his skills and made plays moving around the field. Former GM Ray Farmer selected Shelton 12th overall.

"He's one of our young leaders on the team, and he understands the expectations that we place upon him to be one of the better players," Horton said. "I think that's probably why his name is mentioned so much, because of the expectations. Whether it's a draft pick, or the potential, the physical potential inside of him as a player.

"That's just the burden that he will have to bear. Because he was a high pick that people expect a lot from. And I think he does also."