Cleveland Browns: 20 best draft day steals of all-time

Cleveland Browns best NFL Draft steals of all time: 12. Joel Bitonio

As mentioned in the intro, a steal in the draft isn’t always just a player who was drafted late. It could also be someone who gave their team significant value or was allowed to fall, even though other players with lesser talent at the same position were taken ahead of them.

That’s exactly what happened here as the Browns used the No. 35 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft on Joel Bitonio, who has developed into one of the top left guards in the game.

After playing tackle at Nevada, Bitonio was expected to kick inside to guard, which meant he was a bit of a projection. That’s surely one of the reasons that Bitonio lasted as long as he did, and why he was the third guard taken in the draft that season.

We won’t knock the team who went guard first though, as the Dallas Cowboys took Zack Martin out of Notre Dame. He’s turned into an All-Pro as their right guard and is one of the highest-paid (and best) linemen in the game. However, it was the next guard that was ultimately the reach.

At No. 33 overall, the Houston Texans took Xavier Su’a-Filo, who never became a legitimate starter for them. Su’a-Filo only lasted four seasons with Houston and spent 2018 playing for the Cowboys.

Bitonio was also left on the board while many busts were selected that season. This included players such as Greg Robinson, Marcus Smith, and both of the Browns’ picks in the first round — Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel.

Entering 2021, he continues to serve as a leader of the line and he simply always shows up to play. He hasn’t missed a game since the 2016 season and has made three-straight Pro Bowls from 2018 through 2020.