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5 Best Cleveland Browns sixth-round draft picks since 1999

By Casey Kinnamon

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 02: Ahtyba Rubin #71 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during pre-game warm ups before playing the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 2, 2012 in Oakland, California. The Browns won the game 20-17. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 02: Ahtyba Rubin #71 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during pre-game warm ups before playing the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 2, 2012 in Oakland, California. The Browns won the game 20-17. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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MEMPHIS, TN – SEPTEMBER 03: Jonathan Wilson #38 of the Memphis Tigers is blocked by Drew Forbes #76 of the Southeast Missouri Redhawks on September 3, 2016 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Southeast Missouri State 35-17. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – SEPTEMBER 03: Jonathan Wilson #38 of the Memphis Tigers is blocked by Drew Forbes #76 of the Southeast Missouri Redhawks on September 3, 2016 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Southeast Missouri State 35-17. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Drew Forbes, OL

Your eyes are not deceiving you, and yes…you clicked on the correct article. As insane as it sounds, Drew Forbes is the fifth-best sixth-round draft pick the Cleveland Browns have made since returning to the NFL in 1999.

How could an offensive lineman who has never taken a snap on offense be considered for this list? That is a credible question, and I offer you two separate answers. One…ineptitude. The Browns have been so inept at drafting, in total, but especially in the later rounds, that just the fact that Forbes is still on the roster after one-year qualifies him for this list.

Two…upside. Forbes, even though he played a ton in college, was considered a project because of the level of competition he faced playing in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. However, Forbes’ talent and upside were undeniable from the first day he showed up in Cleveland last year.

Forbes suffered an injury in the preseason and initially was thought to be lost for his rookie season. But the way that the Browns handled his roster spot showed how invested they were to Forbes not getting lost in the shuffle. They literally cut their starting left tackle, a risky but calculated roster move, to make room on the 53-man roster so they could get the young lineman on the IR/Designated to return list.

With a change at general manager and at head coach the future for Forbes is anything but clear, but if he can impress the new regime, he could find himself starting at right guard or at right tackle in 2020. That is enough for him to make this list.

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