Countdown to 2020: Best Cleveland Browns player to wear No. 55

Who is the best player to ever wear No. 55 for the Cleveland Browns?

The countdown to the 2020 NFL season is upon us. With 55 days remaining until the Browns season opener, we continue the countdown by celebrating the best Cleveland Browns player to ever wear number 55: Alex Mack.

Alex Mack was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 21st overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft out of the University of California. Mack was a two-star recruit when he arrived at the University of California, but four years later he was the top-rated center coming out of college. In 2008, Mack was the recipient of the Draddy trophy, later named the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is commonly referred to as the ‘academic Heisman’.

Mack was an instant starter when he arrived in Cleveland. The incumbent starter from the previous season, Hank Fraley, was still on the roster but posed little to no threat to Mack’s playing time. The Browns were clearly employing the same sink or swim strategy they used on Joe Thomas three years earlier.

It was a bold strategy considering how cerebral the center position is. Identifying defensive fronts and making protection adjustments at the line of scrimmage in mere seconds is a lot to ask of a rookie, but Mack was up to the task. Those calls at the line of scrimmage are only amplified when you do not have a veteran quarterback at the helm, and the Browns had first-year starter Brady Quinn lined up behind Mack.

By the end of Mack’s rookie campaign, he was playing the center position like a seasoned veteran. The Browns’ offensive line was one of the rare bright spots of an otherwise dismal season. Mack was acknowledged for his outstanding play and was named to the 2009 All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Mack continued the momentum he gained as a rookie and had a phenomenal sophomore campaign. The Browns offensive line was able to build upon their continuity and lead Payton Hillis onto the cover of Madden, along with the online support of Browns’ fans. Mack was voted as a Pro Bowl alternate to replace Nick Mangold, and he was able to join Thomas on his annual trip to Honolulu.

Mack was well on his way to becoming one of the best centers in the NFL. Although the Browns did not enjoy any tangible team success, Mack and the offensive line continued to be the lone consistent force for the organization. Unfortunately, the Browns were unable to put the skill players in place to let the offensive line get credit for the heavy lifting they were doing.

After another successful season that saw Mack make another Pro Bowl appearance, the Browns placed a transitional tag on the fifth-year starter. The Jacksonville Jaguars attempted to sign Mack to a lucrative contract, but the Browns exercised their option to match the contract and retained Mack’s services.

In 2014, everything appeared to be coming together. Kyle Shanahan was the Browns offensive coordinator, and he employed a zone running scheme. The shift in philosophy allowed Mack and the offensive line to utilize their athleticism. However, in the fifth game of the season, during a drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mack suffered a broken fibula and was forced to miss the remainder of the season.

The season-ending injury snapped Mack’s streak of never missing a snap in his career up to that point. The Browns’ fortunes changed for the worse when they lost Mack, and the offense was not able to maintain the trajectory they were on.

Mack returned in 2015 and picked up where he left before his leg injury. Mack again attained Pro Bowl recognition for his efforts but opted to void his contract and become a free agent in 2016. He later signed to play for the Atlanta Falcons and continued to play at a high level making three straight Pro Bowls for the AFC South team.

Mack played seven seasons in Cleveland, starting in every game he appeared in and was voted to the Pro Bowl three times. Mack was named to the 2010s All-Decade Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well as Pro Football Focus’ top 101 players of the decade.

Alex Mack is clearly the best player to ever wear number 55 for the Cleveland Browns.