Ranking the Browns Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best

3. Baker Mayfield, QB (2018)

It might seem like a bit of a hot take to place Baker Mayfield this high, but Mayfield was incredible as a rookie for the Browns in 2018, reviving hope in the franchise. And his departure from Cleveland was ugly, but Mayfield has since proven that there was more to be extracted than the Browns gave him credit for.

After getting thrown into a horrible situation with the Carolina Panthers, Mayfield got the chance to rebound and regain his confidence for a late-season stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. He parlayed that into a starting opportunity with the Buccaneers in 2023, and absolutely lit it up. Mayfield threw for over 4,000 yards for the first time as an NFL player last year, and earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

He parlayed the best year of his NFL career to date into a three-year, $100 million deal with the Buccaneers. It didn't come in Cleveland, but if you had said six years ago that Mayfield would develop into a $100 million quarterback, I think everyone would take him #1 overall all over again.

Mayfield is one of the better players the Browns have picked in recent memory, but Cleveland isn't reaping the benefits of his success.