Cleveland Browns: Greatest 15 first-round NFL Draft picks of all time

SAN DIEGO - SEPTEMBER 25: Full back Mike Pruitt #43 of the Cleveland Browns follows his blocker center Robert Jackson #68 during a game against the San Diego Chargers at Jack Murphy Stadium on September 25, 1983 in San Diego, California. The Browns won 30-24 in overtime. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

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8. Clay Matthews, LB

Clay Matthews was the 12th pick of the 1978 draft and the selection proved to be a good pick for the Browns.

Matthews, a linebacker, played 18 years in the NFL, and with the Browns from 1978-1993. Matthews was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named first-team, all-pro in 1984.

Some have made a compelling case as to why Matthews should be enrshined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

ESPN Cleveland analyst and Hall of Fame voter Tony Grossi has spoke on the matter, stating that Matthews never played on the game’s biggest stage, and that might be hurting his chances to voters who reside outside of northeast Ohio.

If any player can claim to play with a heavy heart, it’s Matthews. He was present for all the Browns’ infamous playoff disasters, including Red-Right 88, The Drive and The Fumble. Perhaps, if the Browns had figured out how to win those games, the nation would’ve seen Matthews in the Super Bowl and his chances for Hall of Fame enshrinement would have improved.

He may not be a Hall of Famer in Canton, but he’s a Hall of Famer in our hearts, Matthews piled up 1,561 tackles. That’s third all time, trailing Jesse Tuggle and Ray Lewis.

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