2015 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns 1st Round Picks from 1999 to 2007
1999: QB Tim Couch (1st overall)
Who would have guessed – the first draft pick since the reinstatement of the Cleveland Browns was a quarterback. Timothy Scott Couch was drafted out of the University of Kentucky and went on to spend five seasons with the Browns.
During that time, he threw for 11,131 yards, recording 64 touchdowns and 67 interceptions. His 64 touchdowns included some very important moments for the Browns. In 1999, Couch led his team to their first win with a last-second Hail Mary TD-pass against the New Orleans Saints. He added another Hail Mary TD-pass against Jacksonville in 2002. To this day, he is the only player in NFL history to ever throw two game-winning passes of more than 50 yards with no time left on the clock.
Couch is the Browns’ all-time leader in pass completion percentage at (a pitiful) 59.8 percent. But yet, he is considered a draft bust by many fans and experts, as he never quite lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick. His career was plagued by injuries before the Browns released him in 2004. Couch attempted a comeback and tried out for several teams, but would never play a regular or postseason game again.
Next: 2000: DE Courtney Brown