Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

The Best Player in each Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Class since 1999

By Chad Porto

17 Sep 2000: Kevin Johnson #85 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball up the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Steelers 23-20.Mandatory Credit: Harry How /Allsport
17 Sep 2000: Kevin Johnson #85 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball up the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Steelers 23-20.Mandatory Credit: Harry How /Allsport /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
12 of 22
Next
PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 15: Center Alex Mack #55 of the Cleveland Browns looks across the line of scrimmage during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on November 15, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Browns 30-9. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 15: Center Alex Mack #55 of the Cleveland Browns looks across the line of scrimmage during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on November 15, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Browns 30-9. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

2009 – CEN Alex Mack (Round 1: 21st overall)

The Browns had the fifth overall pick in the 2009 Draft. They traded down THREE times to acquire a bunch of picks. In total, the Browns got seven players by trading down all those times. Alex Mack, the chief among them.

The other six players were rookie cornerback, Coey Francies, rookie running back James Davis, rookie defensive end David Veikune, veteran defensive end Kenyon Coleman, veteran quarterback Brett Ratliff, and veteran safety Abram Elam. Of the names, only Coleman and Elam came back for a second and final season for the Browns. Everyone else was off the team following the 2009 season.

Now, Alex Mack is arguably heading to Canton for a future Hall of Fame induction. The problem with Mack, despite his greatness, was that he hated playing in Cleveland. Twice he tried to leave, once to Jacksonville and again to Atlanta. The Browns were able to keep him the first time, but eventually, Mack got his wish and left for the Falcons.

Then it’s compounded by the fact that Browns’s legend Clay Matthews had a kid in the draft. A really talented kid, who you might’ve heard of, Clay Matthews III? Mathews III is himself a future Hall of Famer, like his father, should be and would’ve been the perfect defensive staple for the Browns going forward. Since this was the Eric Mangini days, it’s not even worth looking up who was on defense during these days because they were all trash.

I went and did it anyway, Jason Trusnik and David Bowens were your starting linebackers next to former first-round pick Kamerion Wembley.

The rest of the draft wasn’t great. The team also took wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, linebacker Kaluka Maiava (The Rock’s cousin), and cornerback Don Carey.

Home/Cleveland Browns