The Top 10 Best Cleveland Browns Draft Picks of All Time

Author:
Andrew Harner
Updated:
Apr 27, 2022
Original:
Jun 26, 2020

Who Were the Best Draft Picks in Browns History?

In the NFL, a single draft pick can drastically change a team's future. Teams hope that their highest draft picks blossom into stars, and they also hope to snag a few surprising superstars among their late-round picks. No one wants to make a multi-million dollar investment in a high-profile draft pick who turns into a bust, and there's nothing better than taking a flyer on a late-round draft pick who turns into one of the best players on the team.

Throughout the 73-year history of the Browns, the franchise has had plenty of hits and misses on both ends of that spectrum. In this article, I'll review Cleveland's 10 greatest draft-day wins, as well a handful of honorable mentions.

Selection Criteria for This List

Return on Investment: A top pick who lived up to Hall of Fame–type hype, or a late pick who exceeded expectations, etc.
Risk vs. Reward: How much risk was involved in the pick, and what were the rewards the franchise received?

For the purposes of this list, only players drafted by the Browns who then played a significant portion of their career in Cleveland are considered. So while Willie Davis ended up being a Hall of Fame defensive end who the Browns wisely selected in the 15th round of the 1956 NFL Draft, he won't make this list since he only played two seasons with the Browns and 10 seasons with the Packers.

10. Gene Hickerson

Year Drafted: 1957
Round: 7th
Pick: 78
Position: Offensive guard
College: Ole Miss

Sometimes, a solid pick in the middle of a draft can be the difference maker in a team's future. That was certainly the case when the Browns selected Gene Hickerson as a future pick in 1957.

After finishing his college career, Hickerson became a messenger guard for Cleveland, bringing the play call from the coaching staff to the huddle on every other play. He quickly proved to be too good for that role and became a full-time starter, and that's when the Browns began to see the dividends of their pick.

Also selected in the 1957 Draft was fullback Jim Brown, who ranks among the greatest football players of all time. Because he and Hickerson came into the league at nearly the same time, they developed quite the rapport as teammates, and Hickerson was in front of Brown as he led the league in six of the seven years they were teammates. Together, they helped Cleveland claim the 1964 NFL Championship and make two more postseason appearances. So while Hickerson didn't come to the Browns with a lot of fanfare, the future Hall of Famer certainly did his part.

9. Leroy Kelly

Year Drafted: 1964
Round: 8th
Pick: 110
Position: Running back
College: Morgan State

In the 1964 NFL Draft, the Browns didn't have a significant need for a running back because Hall of Famer Jim Brown was only 28, and it seemed like he would be around for several more seasons. Still, the Browns opted to take a look at small-school standout Leroy Kelly when their turn came in the eighth round.

Physically, Kelly was a bit small for the NFL when he was drafted—standing at just 6 feet tall and weighing about 185 pounds. However, he bulked up by about 16 pounds throughout the summer, which helped him make the team as a rookie. And while he made an impression with coaches during training camp, Brown was still in the picture, so Kelly saw limited action throughout his first two seasons (though he did return three punts for touchdowns). Once Brown retired before the 1966 season, however, the narrative quickly changed.

In 1966, Kelly’s Hall of Fame career took off with his first of three straight seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards, making the Pro Bowl and gaining an All-Pro selection in each of those campaigns. He continued on as the starter in Cleveland until his retirement after the 1973 season, and he left the game with 1,727 carries for 7,274 yards and 74 touchdowns. Among the 10 Hall of Famers selected in the 1964 Draft, only Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach was drafted later, so Kelly proved to be quite the bargain for the Browns.

8. Paul Warfield

Year Drafted: 1964
Round: 1st
Pick: 11
Position: Wide receiver
College: Ohio State

After the 1963 season, the Browns were teetering on the edge of the NFL postseason conversation. Versatile first-round draft selection Paul Warfield was supposed to have a big part in pushing Cleveland back into the playoffs for the first time since 1958. But first, the Browns had to sign him. Warfield was also selected by the Bills in that year's rival AFL Draft, and it only took about a week to finalize a deal with the Browns.

Though he was drafted as a defensive back, it was quite clear by July that Warfield would be more valuable to the Browns as an offensive weapon than a defensive one. "We laugh at ourselves each day when we recall that we were going to play Paul Warfield on defense," said Cleveland owner Art Modell (Dayton Daily News, 1964).

Warfield played a crucial part in Cleveland's 1964 NFL Championship with 920 receiving yards and a Pro Bowl selection. Despite an injury that kept him out most of the 1965 season, he continued to be one of the best receivers ever for the Browns until they traded him to the Dolphins before the 1970 season. Warfield played every game between 1966 and '69, and he gained at least 700 receiving yards each season to make two Pro Bowls. Prior to the trade, he gained an average of 20.2 yards per reception and scored 44 touchdowns in 71 games. He returned to the Browns for the final two years of his Hall of Fame career, and overall with Cleveland, he had 5,210 yards and 52 touchdowns in eight seasons.

7. Joe Thomas

Year Drafted: 2007
Round: 1st
Pick: 3
Position: Left tackle
College: Wisconsin

In most years, the left tackle position has been one of the most consistent spots on the field for the Browns. After returning to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, however, Cleveland couldn't find a standout player to emulate the legends of the '50s, '60s and '70s. Then Joe Thomas came along.

At 6’ 7” and 311 pounds, Thomas was a giant from Wisconsin who was selected as the third pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. It was a somewhat lucky decision because the team also still needed a franchise quarterback. And while the Browns drafted a quarterback later in the first round (a bust in Brady Quinn), Thomas ultimately became one of the finest players in team history and, I believe, the greatest offensive linemen in franchise history.

Thomas was given the chance to start right away as a rookie, and he wouldn't miss a snap until a torn triceps muscle in his left arm ended his career after 11 seasons. His 10,363 straight snaps are believed to make up the longest streak ever in NFL history. Thomas made 10 straight Pro Bowls to open his career and was named a first-team All-Pro six times.

Cleveland found little success during Thomas's tenure, finishing last in the division in all but two of his seasons. Nevertheless, the legendary lineman should get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he first becomes eligible in 2023.

6. Ozzie Newsome

Year Drafted: 1978
Round: 1st
Pick: 23
Position: Tight end
College: Alabama

Had the Browns had a higher pick in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft, Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome very well could have ended up on another team. Going into the 1978 season, Cleveland was in need of a dynamic receiver who could also return kicks, but the top two players who met those needs were gone before the team's first pick in the opening round (No. 12). That left their options open for their second first-round pick that year, which is where Newsome would be drafted by the Browns. Cleveland actually traded down from pick No. 20 to pick No. 23 to snare Newsome—and added an extra fourth-round pick in the process.

Newsome had been a wide receiver and punt returner for the Alabama Crimson Tide. According to Browns first-year head coach Sam Rutigliano, Newsome had hands that could "catch a bee-bee in the dark" (Yannucci, 1978). That helped prompt the Browns to move Newsome to tight end shortly after the draft, and he would go on to become a Hall of Famer who spent all 13 years of his career in Cleveland. Newsome was named a first-team All-Pro once and a second-team All-Pro four times along the way, and his 662 receptions for 7,980 yards remain franchise records. He also scored 49 touchdowns and was named to three Pro Bowls.

5. Clay Matthews

Year Drafted: 1978
Round: 1st
Pick: 12
Position: Linebacker
College: USC

First-year Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano was fairly certain his top eight players would be gone before he got to make his first selection in the 1978 NFL Draft with the 12th pick. "There always are surprises, but I feel certain those eight guys . . . all will be gone before it's our turn to draft," Rutigliano said, citing future Hall of Famers like Earl Campbell and James Lofton, as well as a linebacker named Clay Matthews. "We'll go for the fellow we think is the best athlete available, without regard to position" (Schneider, 1978).

Luckily for the Browns, it turned out Matthews was still on the board, and he made for an outstanding selection that helped solidify Cleveland's defense for the next 16 seasons. Outstanding—but also questionable at the time.

Linebacker was one of the Browns' greatest strengths going into the 1978 season, and one year earlier the team had also spent a first-round pick on the position with Robert Jackson. Cleveland's top need was a bona fide receiver who could also return kicks, but the two such players the Browns had targeted were gone within the first six picks. So that left them with Matthews in a decision that Akron Beacon-Journal columnist Tom Melody opined "will be difficult to justify" (Melody, 1978).

Little did Melody and other critics know, Matthews would become one of the league's best throughout the 1980s, making four Pro Bowls and leading Cleveland's defense during playoff runs from 1985 to '89. No player in team history has ever played more games than Matthews (232), and he was inducted into the franchise's Ring of Honor in 2019.

4. Earnest Byner

Year Drafted: 1984
Round: 10th
Pick: 280
Position: Running back
College: East Carolina

By the time an NFL draft reaches the 280th selection, most teams are simply hoping to find someone who they can develop into a formidable player. That was the case when the Browns selected Earnest Byner in the 10th round of the 1984 Draft, though he quickly proved he wasn't like most late-round draft picks.

Byner caught the attention of coaches early in the summer, as they saw him developing into something more than a typical running back. "The thing Byner has that the other guys don't have is great hands," said head coach Sam Rutigliano. "He catches the ball better than anyone we've got. Right now" (Meyer, 1984). That's high praise from a coach who was returning several dependable running backs from the previous season.

As a rookie, Byner was relegated to mostly kick returns, but in 1985 he started 13 games as the primary ball carrier on his way to gaining 1,002 rushing yards. That season, he and teammate Kevin Mack became just the third duo from the same team in NFL history to each rush for 1,000 yards during the same season, helping the Browns make the first of five straight postseason appearances. In that year's postseason, Byner set the franchise’s single-game rushing record for a playoff game with 161 yards against the Dolphins.

Byner did also have an infamous playoff moment for the wrong reasons, when he fumbled the ball late in the 1987 AFC Championship game in a play now dubbed “The Fumble.”

In the end, Byner played seven seasons in Cleveland and ran the ball 862 times for 3,364 yards and 27 touchdowns, while adding 276 receptions for 2,630 yards and 10 more scores.

3. Jim Brown

Year Drafted: 1957
Round: 1st
Pick: 6
Position: Fullback
College: Syracuse

From the time the Browns came into existence, they always had a strong rushing attack. But when Hall of Fame fullback Marion Motley retired before the 1954 season, it left a gaping void that the franchise struggled to fill. Jim Brown changed all that.

A highly touted rusher, Brown was an All-American at Syracuse before becoming a first-round draft selection for the Browns. He would become one of four Hall of Famers selected in the opening round of the 1957 NFL Draft.

In anticipation of his arrival, the Akron-Beacon Journal wrote, "Praise most likely will flow like water from a busted hydrant . . . when Jim Brown arrives" (Plath, 1957). And that it did, as Brown began his career as the league's Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

Brown would continue on to make the Pro Bowl in each of his nine seasons and be selected a first-team All-Pro eight times. He'd again take home the MVP trophy in 1958 and '65, as well as the Bert Bell Player of the Year trophy in 1963. Brown led the league in rushing in eight seasons and crossed the 1,000-yard mark seven times. Not only that, he never missed a game in his career.

He retired with NFL records in every major rushing category after running the ball 2,359 times for 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns. He still holds Cleveland's franchise record in each category, and he continues to hold the NFL record with 104.3 yards per game. Brown helped his team win the 1964 NFL Championship game, and he also appeared in the postseason in 1957, '58 and '65. He's undeniably the greatest rusher in franchise history, and I believe it will be difficult for anyone to surpass him as such.

2. Brian Sipe

Year Drafted: 1972
Round: 13th
Pick: 330
Position: Quarterback
College: San Diego State

Quarterback was not necessarily a position of need for the Browns in 1972, but they spent a 13th-round selection on a talented signal caller who would eventually become one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history.

Brian Sipe's talent was intriguing enough for Cleveland to develop him slowly, despite the fact that in the 1972 season the team already had a solid pair of quarterbacks in incumbent starter Bill Nelsen and third-year man Mike Phipps. Phipps, who was taken in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft, was set to become the next starter for the franchise, which left Nelsen assigned to more of a mentorship role in what would become his final season.

Sipe left San Diego State University as the career record-holder in every major passing category, but because he stood only 6' 1" tall, he was quite undersized for his position in the NFL. So while the Browns were willing to have Nelsen help develop him, the team's front office leadership probably couldn't have imagined Sipe developing into the quarterback he eventually became.

Sipe understood his place as the third-string quarterback, but that did not deter his confidence, part of which he gained by playing in a pro-style offense in college. "Personally, being drafted in the 13th round only hurt me in the pocketbook," Sipe said. "Once you get in camp, it doesn't matter where you were drafted. But I plan to be around pro ball a long time and make up for whatever money I may be losing now. Foremost in my mind is to make the team. That's when the gravy is made" (Zitrin, 1972).

For two seasons, Sipe waited on the sidelines for his chance to start, and it wasn't until 1976 that he took on that role full-time. He got better each season until hitting his apex in 1980, when he led the Browns into the playoffs and was named the NFL's MVP. Throughout his career, Sipe completed 1,944 of 3,439 passes for 23,713 yards and 154 TDs.

1. Bernie Kosar

Year Drafted: 1985 (supplemental)
Round: 1st
Pick: 1
Position: Quarterback
College: Miami (Florida)

If there was ever a draft pick the Browns had to get right, I believe it was the top pick of the 1985 Supplemental Draft. Cleveland made a strategic trade with the Bills leading up to the regular 1985 NFL Draft, all the while hoping quarterback Bernie Kosar would forego entry into that event. Kosar was a junior at the University of Miami but was on track to graduate early, thus making him eligible to declare for the NFL draft. At that time, only seniors and graduates were able to enter the draft. Despite expressing interest in coming to the NFL—specifically to the Browns—and hiring an agent, it was not certain he would meet the deadline to file paperwork to enter that year's draft. That is where the Browns saw an opportunity.

The Bills held the top pick in 1985 but had already signed defensive end Bruce Smith before the draft. Therefore, in preparation of Kosar's early graduation, the Vikings traded up to the No. 2 spot in the draft to position themselves to select him. On the same day, Cleveland traded four draft picks to Buffalo for their first pick in the 1986 Draft—and therefore the first pick in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. Among the picks Cleveland traded were a pair of first-rounders, so the trade carried risk and would prove disastrous if Kosar applied for the regular draft and went to Minnesota.

Controversy boiled after the trades were made, and on April 23, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle ruled that Kosar could make his own decision. Rozelle had previously waived Kosar’s April 15 deadline to declare for the draft, and Kosar—who grew up in Boardman, Ohio—elected to forego the NFL draft to set up a chance to play for the Browns. After Cleveland selected him atop the supplemental draft, Kosar then delivered on the praise he received.

He led the Browns into the playoffs each season from 1985 through '89 (though he was injured for a chunk of the 1988 season and that year’s playoffs). Included on Kosar’s ledger were three appearances in the AFC Championship game, but the Browns were unable to defeat the Broncos in any of those matchups. With the Browns, he completed 1,853 of 3,150 passes for 21,904 yards, 116 touchdowns and 81 interceptions in nine seasons. During the playoffs, he quarterbacked seven games, completing 146 of 260 passes for 1,860 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while posting a 3–4 record.

Honorable Mentions

The Browns have made many memorable draft picks over the years. Here are a few more who were certainly significant but fell just short of the top 10.

Ben Davis

Ben Davis is not considered among the most well-known Browns players of all time, but he was certainly an all-time draft steal for the franchise. As the 439th selection in the 1967 NFL Draft, Davis was basically an afterthought coming out of tiny Defiance College in Ohio. But he quickly showed he was more than a 17th-round draft choice, and he earned his place as primary returner for the 1967 season (his 12.7 yards per punt return paced the NFL), and he also saw some action defensively. As a starting cornerback the next season, he had eight interceptions. Throughout seven seasons with Cleveland, Davis had 17 interceptions and 1,100 return yards.

Dick Ambrose

With the 290th selection in the 1975 NFL Draft, the Browns picked Dick Ambrose from Virginia. As a 12th-round pick, not much was expected from him, but he got into the starting lineup as a rookie and showed he could be a productive player. From 1977 to '82, he started nearly every game for the Browns, helping them make playoff appearances in 1980 and '82. Complications from a broken ankle suffered in 1983 ended his career prematurely, but he's still remembered as one of the better linebackers in franchise history.

Billy Andrews

The Browns picked up Billy Andrews as the 333rd pick in the 1967 NFL Draft, and the 13th-round selection from Southeastern Louisiana built himself a solid NFL career. He played as a reserve linebacker during his first three seasons, but he eventually became a starter. Andrews ran back an interception for a touchdown during the first-ever Monday Night Football game in 1970, and he had six interceptions in 100 games over his eight seasons with Cleveland.

Doug Dieken

In college, Doug Dieken was a tight end for Illinois. Even though he was a strong receiver, the Browns were able to snare him in the sixth round of the 1971 NFL Draft with the 142nd pick. After transitioning to left tackle, Dieken became a mainstay for the Browns, and he didn't miss a game in his career. Seven times during his tenure, a Browns running back or fullback gained at least 1,000 yards in a season.

Browns Draft FAQs and Trivia

How many times have the Browns taken the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft?

The Browns have taken the No. 1 pick in an NFL draft five times, selecting three quarterbacks and two defensive ends. Of those five picks, four have come since Cleveland returned as an expansion franchise in 1999.

2018: Quarterback Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma)
2017: Defensive end Myles Garrett (Texas A&M)
2000: Defensive end Courtney Brown (Penn State)
1999: Quarterback Tim Couch (Kentucky)
1954: Quarterback Bobby Garrett (Stanford)

How many Hall of Famers have the Browns drafted?

The Browns have drafted 13 Hall of Famers since 1950. The best draft in this regard came in 1957 when Cleveland selected three Hall of Famers—including two who primarily played with the franchise.

1951: Tackle Art Donovan
1951: Defensive back Don Shula*
1953: Defensive end Doug Atkins
1953: Linebacker Chuck Noll*
1956: Defensive end Willie Davis
1957: Fullback Jim Brown
1957: Offensive guard Gene Hickerson
1957: Defensive tackle Henry Jordan
1958: Running back Bobby Mitchell
1959: Defensive back Dick LeBeau
1964: Running back Leroy Kelly
1964: Wide receiver Paul Warfield
1978: Tight end Ozzie Newsome

*Inducted into Hall of Fame primarily for contributions as a coach

Every Browns First-Round NFL Draft Pick in History


Year	Player	Pick	Position	College
1950	Ken Carpenter	13	HB	Oregon State
1951	Ken Konz	14	DB	LSU
1952	Bert Rechichar	10	DB	Tennessee
1952	Harry Agganis	12	QB	BU
1953	Doug Atkins	11	DE	Tennessee
1954	Bobby Garrett	1	QB	Stanford
1954	John Bauer	12	T	Illinois
1955	Kurt Burris	13	C	Oklahoma
1956	Preston Carpenter	13	E	Arkansas
1957	Jim Brown	6	FB	Syracuse
1958	Jim Shofner	13	DB	Texas Christian
1959	Rich Kreitling	11	E	Illinois
1960	Jim Houston	8	LB	Ohio State
1961	Bobby Crespino	10	SE	Mississippi
1962	Gary Collins	4	FL	Maryland
1962	Leroy Jackson	11	HB	Western Illinois
1963	Tom Hutchinson	9	TE	Kentucky
1964	Paul Warfield	11	WR	Ohio State
1966	Milt Morin	14	TE	Massachusetts
1967	Bob Matheson	18	LB	Duke
1968	Marvin Upshaw	21	DE	Trinity (Tex.)
1969	Ron Johnson	20	RB	Michigan
1970	Mike Phipps	3	QB	Purdue
1970	Bob McKay	21	T	Texas
1971	Clarence Scott	14	DB	Kansas State
1972	Thom Darden	18	DB	Michigan
1973	Steve Holden	16	WR	Arizona State
1973	Pete Adams	22	G	USC
1975	Mack Mitchell	5	DE	Houston
1976	Mike Pruitt	7	RB	Purdue
1977	Robert Jackson	17	LB	Texas A&M
1978	Clay Matthews	12	LB	USC
1978	Ozzie Newsome	23	TE	Alabama
1979	Willis Adams	20	WR	Houston
1980	Charles White	27	RB	USC
1981	Hanford Dixon	22	DB	Southern Miss
1982	Chip Banks	3	LB	USC
1984	Don Rogers	18	DB	UCLA
1987	Mike Junkin	5	LB	Duke
1988	Clifford Charlton	21	LB	Florida
1989	Eric Metcalf	13	RB	Texas
1991	Eric Turner	2	DB	UCLA
1992	Tommy Vardell	9	RB	Stanford
1993	Steve Everitt	14	C	Michigan
1994	Antonio Langham	9	DB	Alabama
1994	Derrick Alexander	29	WR	Michigan
1995	Craig Powell	30	LB	Ohio State
1999	Tim Couch	1	QB	Kentucky
2000	Courtney Brown	1	DE	Penn State
2001	Gerard Warren	3	DT	Florida
2002	William Green	16	RB	BC
2003	Jeff Faine	21	C	Notre Dame
2004	Kellen Winslow	6	TE	Miami (Fla.)
2005	Braylon Edwards	3	WR	Michigan
2006	Kamerion Wimbley	13	DE	Florida State
2007	Joe Thomas	3	T	Wisconsin
2007	Brady Quinn	22	QB	Notre Dame
2009	Alex Mack	21	C	California
2010	Joe Haden	7	DB	Florida
2011	Phil Taylor	21	DT	Baylor
2012	Trent Richardson	3	RB	Alabama
2012	Brandon Weeden	22	QB	Oklahoma State
2013	Barkevious Mingo	6	LB	LSU
2014	Justin Gilbert	8	DB	Oklahoma State
2014	Johnny Manziel	22	QB	Texas A&M
2015	Danny Shelton	12	NT	Washington
2015	Cameron Erving	19	C	Florida State
2016	Corey Coleman	15	WR	Baylor
2017	Myles Garrett	1	DE	Texas A&M
2017	Jabrill Peppers	25	S	Michigan
2017	David Njoku	29	TE	Miami (Fla.)
2018	Baker Mayfield	1	QB	Oklahoma
2018	Denzel Ward	4	CB	Ohio State
2020	Jedrick Wills Jr.	10	OT	Alabama
2021	Greg Newsome II	26	DB	Northwestern

Works Cited

Melody, T. (1978, May 3). "Browns' encore a dud." Akron Beacon-Journal, F1.

Meyer, E. (1984, July 20). "Browns' Byner '84 version of Boyce Green." Akron Beacon-Journal, C1–C5.

Plath, D. (1957, July 24). "Browns' Top Rookies to Miss Roll Call." Akron Beacon-Journal, 22.

Schneider, R. (1978, May 1). "Browns' first choice will be one of six college stars in NFL Draft today." Cleveland Plain Dealer, D1–D2.

"Warfield on defense? A joke to Browns." (1964, July 19). Dayton Daily News, 4-D.

Yannucci, R. (1978, May 2). "Browns pick linebacker Matthews, Newsome." Akron Beacon-Journal, C1–C4.

Zitrin, R. (1972, February 27). "Browns Impressed by Rookie QB Sipe." Akron Beacon-Journal, B5.