Ranking every Cleveland Browns first round draft pick since 1999
By Chad Porto
We’re ranking every Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick since 1999.
The Cleveland Browns have had some shockingly good draft picks in the first round since 1999. I was generally surprised that more than most of the Browns’ first-round picks had long careers. Very few turned into Pro Bowlers, fewer turned into All-Pros, and even fewer into Hall of Famers, but of the Browns’ 29 picks in the first round since 1999, most of them went on to play into a second and even a third contract.
Granted, that’s what you’re hoping for out of a fourth-round pick, not a first-round pick, but I digress.
So with the 2022 NFL Draft upon us, I thought it’d be a fun thing to go back, look at each former first-round pick and see where they would rank against one another all time. This isn’t going to just be my opinion. If it was, Tim Couch and Trent Richardson would have been much, much higher. God, Richardson could’ve been so good, you know, if he could see the openings in an offensive line…
So what are we judging these players on? Well, let’s go through the qualifications.
First, we’re looking at how long they were in Cleveland. Probably 10 or so players played nearly nine, 10, or even 11 seasons in the NFL, but only four or five in Cleveland. So how long a team played at Cleveland Browns Stadium as a member of the home team will matter most.
Secondly, we’re looking at their time in the NFL as a whole. If a pick goes on to find success elsewhere, that means they were clearly the right pick, just used incorrectly or mis-coached. So that will matter too. Also, if they played in other leagues, that will matter too but only to a point.
Thirdly, we’re going to look at how productive they were. You could be a backup quarterback for 10 years, but a player who only played five as a starter will carry more weight.
Fourthly, we’re looking at the team’s success. Being a key piece on a playoff team will certainly carry more weight than being the best piece on a team that won zero games.
Lastly, we’re looking at individual awards and accomplishments. Future Hall of Famers to the front of the line, please.