5 Best Cleveland Browns 5th-round picks since 1999

No. 4: Defensive Back, Brandon McDonald (2007-2009)

The Browns selected the defensive back out of Memphis with the 140th pick in the 2007 NFL draft. You might also remember this as the Joe Thomas draft, which is probably the only draft I’ve been alive so far to see the Browns draft a future Hall of Famer.

The Browns also took Brandon McDonald, who was selected two picks before the Cardinals took wide receiver Steve Breaston, who some may remember as a steal for the Cardinals. Nonetheless, the Browns can’t be too mad with their pick, as they still got some good production out of McDonald.

Mcdonald would make 27 starts for the Cleveland Browns across his three seasons with the team, playing in all 48 games. That is some serious value, considering the players taken before and after him played only 18 games combined across their entire careers. It is hard to find starting-caliber players in the 5th round, and the Browns did that with this pick.

His best season with the Browns would be his sophomore campaign, where he played in all 16 games starting 15, notching 5 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 75 tackles, and 5 tackles for loss. He would take one of those 5 interceptions back for a touchdown, which you can watch here (3:54).

McDonald would be cut before the 2010 season but would go on to continue to play in the NFL, playing his last snaps in 2012 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Across his entire career, Brandon McDonald would start 31 NFL games, 27 of those for the Cleveland Browns, notching 9 interceptions (8 with the Browns), 216 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, a sack, and one interception for a touchdown.

I can safely say that McDonald was one of former Browns general manager Phil Savage’s better value picks, which is why he gets the number 4 spot on this list.