Cleveland Browns: 15 greatest offensive linemen of all-time

Greatest offensive lineman in Cleveland Browns history: #9. Doug Dieken

A little bit of a spoiler alert here, but Doug Dieken had some pretty big shoes to fill, as he joined the Browns in 1971 and replaced Dick Shafrath, who comes in a few slots later in this top-15 offensive line ranking. It was quite the task to place upon a sixth-round pick out of Illinois, but Dieken ended up handling things rather well.

After starting just five of 14 games as a rookie, Dieken never came off the bench again for the rest of his career. He also never missed a game until 1982 when he was 33 years of age. Missing seven games that season became the only period of his entire career where Dieken wasn’t suited up and ready to go the for the Browns.

He played 14 total seasons in Cleveland and made the Pro Bowl once in 1980. After his career was over, Iron-Man Diek moved into the broadcasting booth for the Browns and is still a beloved voice on the radio calling Browns games.

While Dieken isn’t originally from The Land, he came to love being a part of the community and is one of the more underappreciated figures in team history — and in the community — which is something that was covered in a piece from DPD’s own Dan Justik.

Like many who come to Cleveland to play for the Browns, Dieken ended up realizing the passion of this fan base is unmatched anywhere else. It’s easy to hear in his voice how much he appreciates the sports town that he represented for nearly a decade and a half on the field.