All-time greats: 5 best Cleveland Browns drafted in first round
By Clay Goodwin
2. Joe Thomas, offensive tackle
One of the few recent success stories in the draft came when the Browns selected our beloved, Joe Thomas in 2007. Thomas was an excellent lineman from the University of Wisconsin.
Thomas played his hardest every game for Cleveland from 2007 to 2017. He is well known for his (believed to be) longest streak of consecutive snaps played at 10,363. That is an absolutely amazing stat and proved that he was an absolute warrior for the Browns.
Despite only one winning season in his career, Thomas never stopped trying. He would hold his ground and protect the blindside for Browns’ quarterbacks, some of which he did not even know when they walked in the huddle — and he would get offended at talk of trading him to a contender since his loyalties lied in Northeast Ohio.
Thomas was a 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro. He was the definition of stability and put up incredible stats and reliability despite having very little talent around him.
Thomas was often plagued by minor injuries and could hardly practice during the week, but that did not stop him from playing on Sundays.
It’s a shame Thomas tore his triceps in 2017 or else he could perhaps still be playing for this talented roster. The Browns have not been able to find a serviceable replacement since Thomas retired from the league.
Joe Thomas is a huge fan favorite and is still an icon in Cleveland. He’s certainly a legend of the brown and orange.