Cleveland Browns: Top 15 All-Time first-round draft picks

rn With the 2018 NFL Draft right around the corner and the Cleveland Browns owning two top picks, we look at the 15 best first-round picks in franchise history rnNothing builds hope for an NFL franchise like the draft. No matter the record, things can always get better should they just hit on that first-round pick. Cleveland Browns fabs arguably know this better than any fan base.rnrnSince returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have had just two winning seasons. One came in 2002 when they went 9-7, the other was their 10-6 campaign in 2007.rnrnEvery other year, it's been a disappointing end that's followed with the hope of next season. That hope may never have been stronger than now as they have three guys on their roster that were first-round picks in 2017 and they own the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the upcoming draft which could give them a much-needed infusion of young talent.rnrnThat is provided of course they hit on those picks, which is something they haven't always done. That can be seen when looking over the franchise's entire existence and selecting the best 15 picks of all-time. Here's to hoping their 2018 picks are more reminiscent of the following 15 players, rather than the ones that hurt to bring up.rnrn[mockdraft order="15" firstname="Doug" lastname="Atkins" position="DE" from="Tennessee Volunteers, 1953 (No. 11)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="tennessee" /]rnrnThe first player we look at will be a controversial one for sure. Doug Atkins was the No. 11 overall pick in 1953 out of Tennessee and ended up being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The problem is, Atkins only played 20 career games with the Browns.rnrnAfter just two seasons, Cleveland shipped him off to Chicago where he became part of a dominate Bears team. Atkins ended up becoming an eight-time Pro Bowl player and four-time First-Team All-Pro.rnrnCleveland surely lost the trade when they moved on from Atkins, but this still was a great pick by them.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%2014" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_75172" align="aligncenter" width="2140"] Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="14" firstname="Preston" lastname="Carpenter" position="RB/TE" from="Arkansas Razorbacks, 1956 (No. 13)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="arkansas" /]rnrnThe No. 14 player on our top-15 list also had a short stint with the Browns as Preston Carpenter was only with the team from 1956 to 1959. He loses points too for going to the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he was a good — and versatile — player in the NFL.rnrn[related-category /]rnrnWhile with the Browns, Carpenter was a guy who did a little bit of everything. The Arkansas product was mostly used as a running back and punt returner as a rookie.rnrnHe had 756 yards on the ground and another 124 through the air, but oddly enough never got into the end zone despite his 204 touches on offense and 16 on special teams.rnrnAfter his first season, Carpenter never had more than three carries as his role transferred to being a pass catcher first. He ended up leading the team in receiving in 1958 with 474 yards. More than anything, that highlights how much the game has evolved. As a wideout, he never averaged less than 14.7 yards per reception.rnrnIn his career, Carpenter had just one Pro Bowl berth, which came in 1962 while with the Steelers. He finished his career as a bit of a journeyman, going from Pittsburgh to Washington, Minnesota and finally Miami for his last season in 1967.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%2013" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_83956" align="aligncenter" width="3500"] NFL. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="13" firstname="Ken" lastname="Carpenter" position="RB" from="Oregon State Beavers, 1950 (No. 13)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="oregonstate" /]rnrnThe Browns were officially a football team as of 1946, when they joined the All-America Football Conference. That league ended in 1949 and after going an impressive 47-4-3 in the AAFC, Cleveland headed to the NFL.rnrnTheir first season in the league, the Browns had the No. 13 pick in the draft and selected running back Ken Carpenter out of Oregon State. A big part of why Carpenter makes this list is because he has the distinction of being the first player ever chosen by the Browns in the NFL Draft.rnrnLike the first two players on our list, this Carpenter also spent minimal time in Cleveland, as he was with them from 1950 to 1953 before going to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for a six-season stint in the Canadian Football League. He had a great career with them, but wasn’t bad with Cleveland.rnrnHe even made the Pro Bowl in 1951 when he rushed for 402 yards and four touchdowns while adding another 183 yards and two scores off 12 receptions. These numbers won’t blow people away, but the game was much different in the 1950s. On top of his contributions as a running back, the first-ever first-round pick of the Browns also served as a strong punt returner.rnrnCarpenter returned to the NFL for one last season in 1960 and had a career-high 29 receptions for 350 yards with the Denver Broncos.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%2012" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_83983" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="12" firstname="Thom" lastname="Darden" position="S" from="Michigan Wolverines, 1972 (No. 18)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="michigan" /]rnrnPick No. 18 in the 1972 NFL Draft saw the Browns select Michigan safety Thom Darden . The 1971 All-American was brought in to play strong safety, but was able to perform well at both safety spots in the defensive backfield during his nine-year career with the Browns.rnrnDarden really started to shine after moving to a centerfield role with the Browns. In 1974, he started to show off his ability to change a game in the blink of an eye. The 6-foot-2 Darden intercepted eight passes that season and had 105 yards in returns. He also ran back a fumble recovery for a 29-yard touchdown — which wound up being the only touchdown he got via fumble recoveries in his career.rnrnThat season wasn’t his greatest though, as that distinction goes to Darden’s 1978 Pro Bowl campaign. That year Darden had an NFL-leading 10 interceptions and 200 yards worth of run backs. This also ended up being the only season he was named to the Pro Bowl, which is somewhat confusing considering he was averaging seven picks per season the three years prior.rnrnTo this day, Darden is the all-time leader in interceptions for the Browns with 45 total. He never had a season where he didn’t record at least one pick for Cleveland and is still considered one of their best safeties ever.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%2011" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_83987" align="aligncenter" width="4686"] Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="11" firstname="Jim" lastname="Houston" position="LB" from="Ohio State Buckeyes, 1960 (No. 8)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="ohiostate" /]rnrn Jim Houston was the second member of his family to play for the Browns, as his older brother Lin Houston played offensive guard for the team from their first season (1946) through 1953. The elder Houston was a primary blocker for the legendary quarterback Otto Graham and watching his brother play there probably helped Cleveland land Jim.rnrnThat’s because the younger Houston brother was the No. 1 overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 AFL Draft, but chose to go with the Browns who made him the eighth pick in the NFL Draft that same season. Cleveland was happy to see the Ohio State star stay local as he spent the next 13 seasons donning the orange and brown.rnrnDuring his time with Cleveland, Houston played both defensive end and linebacker, although it was after moving to linebacker that he saw his career take off. He ended up making four Pro Bowls at the position while starring as a middle linebacker.rnrnHouston was an incredibly durable player that missed just three games in his career and was solid against the pass and run according to Mike Peticca of Cleveland.com who ranked Houston No. 28 on the Browns top-100 list. rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%2010" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_83990" align="aligncenter" width="4536"] Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="10" firstname="Joe" lastname="Haden" position="CB" from="Florida Gators, 2010 (No. 7)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="florida" /]rnrnRecent NFL Drafts haven’t been kind to the Browns. Players like Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel, Justin Gilbert and Barkevious Mingo have all been major flops. Those moves set the team back quite a bit and has a lot to do with why there’s once again new decision makers in the front office.rnrnThat doesn’t mean they never hit on first-round picks during that time frame because they hit an absolute home run in 2010 when they selected Florida cornerback Joe Haden .rnrnThe 5-foot-11 Haden was a fast and instinctive corner who quickly made his mark on the team. He recorded six picks and 18 pass deflections as a rookie and made them realize soon that he should not only be starting, but didn’t need to return kickoffs because he was too important to the defense.rnrnHaden continued to be a menace to opposing quarterbacks as he spent seven seasons with the Browns and had 20 interceptions with a remarkable 107 pass defenses.rnrnSadly, the two-time Pro Bowl corner was cut before the 2017 season as the Browns were trying to save money. Haden didn’t want to take a pay cut and, in the end he wound up with the hated Steelers. In this piece, we try not to hold that against him.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%209" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_75833" align="aligncenter" width="3604"] Eric Metcalf, Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="9" firstname="Eric" lastname="Metcalf" position="RB/KR" from="Texas Longhorns, 1989 (No. 13)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="texas" /]rnrnIn 1989, the Browns used their first-round pick on a former track and field star who was also an All-American football player for the University of Texas. He was brought in to play running back and helped replace Earnest Byner, who ended up being teammates with Eric Metcalf in 1994 when Byner returned to Cleveland.rnrnAs a rookie, Metcalf showed off his versatility upon arrival. He rushed for 633 yards and six touchdowns, but was just as dangerous catching the ball.rnrnThe speedy back had another 397 yards through the air and four more touchdowns off 54 receptions. He followed that up with another 57 receptions in 1990, but he had more than 100 less carries as the Browns began to use him more as a receiver and return man.rnrnMetcalf became a prolific punt returner with 10 career touchdowns — five with the Browns — but 1990 he was a star as a kick returner. He finished with 1,052 yards and his only two career kick return touchdowns that year for Cleveland.rnrnBy the time he left the Browns after the 1994 season, Metcalf had made two Pro Bowls and scored 33 total touchdowns. He also had 9,108 all-purpose yards as he proved to be a weapon in several facets of the game.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%208" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_84029" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Defensive back Eric Turner of the Cleveland Browns celebrates during a playoff game against the New England Patriots at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns won the game, 20-13.[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="8" firstname="Eric" lastname="Turner" position="S" from="UCLA Bruins, 1991 (No. 2)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="ucla" /]rnrnSelected No. 2 overall in 1991, Eric Turner proved to be well worth the investment for the Browns. He spent the next five seasons wearing the orange helmet and then made the move to Baltimore as they left Ohio behind. Turner played one season with the Baltimore Ravens before heading to the Oakland Raiders for the final three years of his career.rnrnTurner tragically saw his career and life cut short as he passed away in May of 2000 at just 31-years of age. Stomach cancer ended up being the cause of his death which saw him go much too young.rnrnNicknamed E-Rock, Turner was a force on the field and was picked higher than any defensive back in nearly 30 years when the Browns chose him out of UCLA. He recorded 84 tackles as a rookie and only saw those numbers increase the next two seasons as he had 119 in his second campaign and 159 the following year.rnrnIn 1994, he made the Pro Bowl as a member of the Browns and was an All-Pro player as he led the NFL with nine interceptions — one of which he returned for a 93-yard touchdown. Turner made one more Pro Bowl in 1996 for the Ravens and finished with 30 career pass interceptions.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%207" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_84094" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Cleveland Browns. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart/ALLSPORT[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="7" firstname="Hanford" lastname="Dixon" position="CB" from="Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 1981 (No. 22)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="southernmiss" /]rnrn Hanford Dixon spent nine seasons playing for the Browns after they chose him in the 1981 NFL Draft. The Southern Miss stand out became a starter right away for the Browns and eventually formed one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL.rnrnHe and teammate Frank Minnifield made life hard on opposing wide receivers during their time together with the Browns. As for Dixon, he ended up making two All-Pro Teams and three Pro Bowl rosters during his career. Statistically, he ended his time with Cleveland posting a respectable 26 interceptions, but he’s beloved for another reason.rnrnDixon is credited with coining the phrase “Dawg Pound” for the fans in the Cleveland seats. He reportedly used to bark at teammates on the sidelines to get them pumped up and even signs his name with the words “Top Dawg” according to a piece by the Sports Collectors Digest . rnrnThe former defensive back loved interacting with fans and is still often heard from as he does plenty of work as an analyst in Cleveland. On top of all that, Dixon still works on the sidelines in a way as he’s the head coach of the Cleveland Crush — a lingerie football team.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%206" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_76338" align="aligncenter" width="4896"] Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="6" firstname="Clay" lastname="Matthews Jr." position="LB" from="USC Trojans, 1978 (No. 12)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="usc" /]rnrnThere may be no stronger NFL bloodline than that of the Matthews family. The Browns pick in 1978 out of USC, Clay Matthews Jr. was the son of a former offensive lineman, Clay Matthews Sr. He played with the San Francisco 49ers and two of his sons made the pros.rnrnOf course there was Clay, Jr. with the Browns from 1978 to 1993. He then played three more seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before hanging it up. His younger brother, Bruce Matthews, came into the league also via USC in 1983 and played until 2001 with the Houston Oilers — who later became the Tennessee Titans.rnrnBruce, who played offensive tackle like his father, is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but still may not be the most famous member of the family. That honor goes to Clay Matthews III, who also starred at USC and is now a fixture with the Green Bay Packers.rnrnAs for the Browns' Clay Matthews, he recorded 1,430 tackles in his 16 seasons with Cleveland while adding 69.5 sacks (they weren’t an official stat his whole career) and 16 interceptions. He’s still the all-time Cleveland leader in both tackles and sacks, which gets him firmly planted on this list of Browns great first-round draft picks.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%205" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_75227" align="aligncenter" width="4482"] Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="5" firstname="Gary" lastname="Collins" position="WR/P" from="Maryland Terrapins, 1962 (No. 4)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="maryland" /]rnrnBefore Kordell Stewart was nicknamed “slash,” the Browns had their own player worthy of that title. The No. 11 pick in 1964 out of Maryland was Gary Collins , who spent his entire career with the Browns as a punter and wide receiver.rnrn[recentposts thiscategory="no" /]rnrnEarly in his career, Collins was the team’s primary punter and was routinely kicking the ball more than 40-yards away to opponents. His best season in that regard was 1965 when he had 3,035 yards and an average of 46.7 yards per punt.rnrnEven while handling these duties, Collins excelled as a wide out. The same season he had nearly 47-yards per punt, he also added 884 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was considered a clutch player who delivered in big moments often.rnrnThe former Brown also knew how to use his 6-foot-5 frame as he was unstoppable in the red zone. He had 70 career touchdowns and hit double digits four different times in his career. The two-time Pro Bowl receiver even led the league in receptions for scores in 1963 when he had 13.rnrnHis work with Cleveland earned him the honor of being named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. Collins finished his career with 5,299 yards receiving yards and 13,764 yards worth of punts. It’s highly unlikely any player could ever produce like that again.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%204" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_82501" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="4" firstname="Paul" lastname="Warfield" position="WR" from="Ohio State Buckeyes, 1964 (No. 11)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="ohiostate" /]rnrnBorn in Ohio, Paul Warfield became a star for the Ohio State Buckeyes. There he was not only a member of the football team, but he also was highly regarded in track and field as he excelled in several facets of that sport. In 1964, he made his way to the Browns — to once again star for a team in his home state.rnrnWarfield ended up spending eight seasons with Cleveland — in two separate stints. His first go-round with the team he came out of the gates on fire. Warfield had 920 yards receiving and nine touchdowns as a rookie. He then missed all but one game in 1965 thanks to a broken collarbone.rnrnHe returned and was still a monster in terms of getting down the field. He averaged more than 20-yards per reception every season from 1966 to 1969 for Cleveland before doing the same for the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1972. He was still a deep threat as he continued to average near that 20-yard mark the next couple seasons before returning home to finish his career where it began, in Ohio.rnrnAn eight-time Pro Bowl player and an NFL Champion in 1964, Warfield was eventually inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He finished his impressive career with 427 receptions for 8,565 yards (an average of 20.1 per grab) and 85 touchdowns.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%203" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_84096" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Ozzie Newsome, Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="3" firstname="Ozzie" lastname="Newsome" position="TE" from="Alabama Crimson Tide, 1978 (No. 23)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="alabama" /]rnrnIt’s only fitting to praise former Cleveland tight end Ozzie Newsome at this point since 2018 will be his final season in the NFL. Originally drafted out of Alabama in 1978, Newsome played 198 games for the Browns from 1978 through 1990. He ended his playing career as one of the most productive tight ends the NFL had ever seen.rnrnNewsome twice hit the 1,000-yard mark as he redefined the position. The 6-foot-2 pass catcher ended his career with 662 receptions for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns. To this day, he’s still far and away the leader in both receptions and yardage for the storied franchise. He also stands a respectable fifth in touchdowns for them.rnrnAs great as the three-time Pro Bowler was on the field, he’s been even better off of it. Newsome immediately transitioned into a front office role upon finishing his career and after moving to Baltimore with the original Browns, he wound up becoming a general manager in 2002 — the first African-American to hold the position. As a front office guy, Newsome built some great teams and has two Super Bowl rings to show for it.rnrnHe now will work one last season for Baltimore and hang it up for good. The long-time NFL fixture will surely be missed.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%202" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_84031" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 23: Tackle Joe Thomas (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="2" firstname="Joe" lastname="Thomas" position="LT" from="Wisconsin Badgers, 2007 (No. 3)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="wisconsin" /]rnrnThe list of accolades for Joe Thomas is a long one. The No. 3 overall pick in 2007 out of Wisconsin saw just one winning season in his entire career, but that never stopped him from giving his all to the Browns — a team he was fiercely loyal to.rnrnThomas was a 10-time Pro Bowl player who made the all-star team every season except for his final one that was cut short due to a triceps injury. That injury cost him the remainder of his final year in the NFL and ended his incredible streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps.rnrnA true iron man, Thomas was a First-Team All-Pro seven times and twice made the Second-Team. He was often considered the best left tackle in the game, which had his name continually in the rumor mill as a potential trade target.rnrnWith Cleveland struggling to win year after year, Thomas was always seen as a piece they could move for some great draft stock. The talks never went anywhere as he would always profess his love for his home and wanted to be there when the team finally turned the corner.rnrnThat never happened during his playing days, but Thomas seems to be fully engulfed in the Browns. He may no longer be their best player, but he’s going to be one of their biggest fans.rnrn[nextslide teaser="No.%201" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_84008" align="aligncenter" width="3879"] Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn[mockdraft order="1" firstname="Jim" lastname="Brown" position="RB" from="Syracuse Orangemen, 1957 (No. 6)" league="ncaa" teamlogo="syracuse" /]rnrnWhile Joe Thomas surely moved up the ranks recently, he still can’t take the No. 1 throne. That will belong to running back Jim Brown unless some young quarterback takes the helm and returns the Browns to prominence — and wins a couple of titles along the way.rnrnBrown came into the NFL in 1957 and immediately made an impact. He had the record for most rushing yards in a game by a rookie and it took four decades for that to be surpassed.rnrnIt was no shock he would end up winning the Rookie of the Year Award that season, but that wasn’t the only hardware he would take home. Brown also won the NFL MVP Award as a rookie and followed that up in 1958 and 1965 with the same honor.rnrnThe accolades didn’t stop there as the bruising back made the Pro Bowl in each of his nine seasons and had eight placements in the First-Team All-Pro and one as a Second-Team. Brown also led the league in rushing in eight of his nine years in pro football.rnrnTo this day he leads Cleveland with 12,312 yards rushing and 106 touchdowns on the ground. Making that feat even more impressive is the fact that Brown accomplished all this before the NFL moved to a 16-game season.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Cleveland%20Browns%3A%20Top%2030%20moments%20of%20all-time" url="https://dawgpounddaily.com/2016/12/25/cleveland-browns-top-30-moments-of-all-time/" /]rnrnSimply put, he was beyond special and it would be hard to think of any player ever surpassing him as not only the best first-round pick for the Browns, but even as their best player ever.

Dawg Pound Daily

Cleveland Browns: Top 15 All-Time first-round draft picks

Preston Carpenter

RB/TE, Arkansas Razorbacks, 1956 (No. 13)

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