Cleveland Browns: 20 best draft day steals of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
RB. East Carolina, 1984. EarnestByner. 3. 932. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. player
Cleveland Browns best NFL Draft steals of all time: 3. Earnest Byner
Coming in at No. 3 on our list is running back Earnest Byner, who ended up having two stints with the Browns. His first was when Cleveland selected him in the 10th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Byner, who played fullback at East Carolina, was known as a bruising back, but was also incredibly versatile. He spent time as a return man during his career, while also shining as a receiver.
After rushing for 426 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, Byner had his best season in a Browns uniform the following year. He finished his second campaign in The Land with 1,002 yards on the ground, 460 receiving, and had 10 total touchdowns.
He did this while splitting carries with rookie first-round pick Kevin Mack. That ended up being one of the more impressive rushing seasons in NFL history, as both Byner and Mack topped the 1,000-yard mark.
Byner ended up leaving the Browns after the 1988 season and then spent five years with the Washington Redskins. He had twice topped the 1,000-yard mark with them and finished with 3,950 yards in Washington uniform. Then, Byner returned home in 1994.
He was with the club in 1994 and 1995 and still remained incredibly productive, despite being over the age of 30 and playing in a reduced role. Byner then moved with the original franchise in 1996 when they became the Baltimore Ravens. As for his time with the Browns, he finished seventh all-time in rushing yards and seventh in touchdowns on the ground.