3. Ozzie Newsome (1978, Pick No. 23)
Drafted out of Alabama in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft, Ozzie Newsome transitioned from a wide receiver in college to a player that helped transform the tight end position in the NFL.
Newsome holds the franchise record for most catches in a single season with 89, which he did in both 1983 and 1984; is one of just 10 Browns’ receivers to have a 1,000 yard season, and the only player to accomplish it twice; is first in all-time receptions with 662, almost double the total of Dante Lavelli in second place; is tops on career receiving yards; and is fifth in career touchdown receptions.
When Newsome retired after the 1990 season, he was fourth on the NFL’s all-time list for receptions and had caught more passes than any tight end.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
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