Cleveland Browns: A look back in history at the past five drafts

Drafting has been a struggle for the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns have struggled to draft since their return in 1999. That’s especially been the case at times over the last 10 years.

With GM John Dorsey now calling the shots, hopefully, Cleveland’s draft classes moving forward improves. We won’t have to wait long too to see what Dorsey does as he has just over two weeks before Cleveland is officially on the clock.

Before the Browns add to their upgraded roster, how have they done recently? Not every class will be a home run but if Cleveland can get two to three starters that’s ideal. If depth can be added to that too, then they can be on cloud nine.

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So, what did prior regimes do the past five drafts?

In 2017, the best player drafted was DE Myles Garrett. Of the 10 draft picks, only one is no longer on the roster (QB DeShone Kizer). Six of them already plays significant roles. A pretty solid job was done after one year but they all need to continue to take steps moving forward.

The best player of the 2016 class is a toss-up. It could be either LB Joe Schobert or DE Emmanuel Ogbah but I’d give the edge to Schobert. Meanwhile, the one who has been the most disappointing, to say the least, is WR Corey Coleman.

Of the 14 draft picks, half of them contributes to the team ranging from a depth option to solid starter. The other seven are either gone or are fighting for a roster spot. To be exact, four of those seven players are no longer Browns, headlined by quarterback Cody Kessler.

The 2015 class was a mess. As much of a disappointment, it was, it is hard to imagine that class not being the worst on the list but it is true. The best player Cleveland added then was RB Duke Johnson, who has done wonders for the team. Of the Browns first four picks, only Johnson remains.

Cleveland did draft CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in hopes he’d be a steal after suffering a knee injury but that did not happen. In the 2015 draft, Cleveland drafted 12 players but nine players are now no longer with them, including their two first-rounders, DL Danny Shelton and OL Cameron Erving.

The 2014 draft class may be best remembered but not for good reasons. Cleveland could have had QB Derek Carr, who went to the Oakland Raiders, but they went a different direction.

Six players were drafted that year with all the attention focusing on their first rounders, CB Justin Gilbert and QB Johnny Manziel. Even though it has been a few years now, it is still crazy to think how badly the Browns missed on both of them.

Cleveland did do well later in the draft though as they added LG Joel Bitonio and LB Christian Kirksey in the second and third rounds respectively. Bitonio is now the best lineman on the team and Kirksey is doing a great job on defense. Of those six, only Bitonio and Kirksey remain.

Remember when I said there would be an even worse class coming up? Well, here it is: The 2013 Browns draft class.

Just five players were drafted that year and none of them are still on the roster. When reading the list and seeing that LB Barkevious Mingo was the best pick for Cleveland at that time says all anyone needs to know about the class.

Next: Fictional comparisons for top QB prospects

Dorsey has done a great job up until now but the draft is where teams build their roster. As long as Dorsey doesn’t select a class that ends up like 2013 and 2015 for sure, then that would be a win. Bypassing parts of the negatives in 2014 and 2016 would also be ideal.

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