Cleveland Browns: Top 20 All-Time first-round draft picks

Cleveland Browns top first-round draft picks All-Time No. 17: Preston Carpenter, RB/TE, Arkansas

The No. 17 player on our top-20 list also had a short stint with the Browns as Preston Carpenter was only with the team from 1956 to 1959. He loses points too for going to the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he was a good — and versatile — player in the NFL.

While with the Browns, Carpenter was a guy who did a little bit of everything. The Arkansas product was mostly used as a running back and punt returner as a rookie.

He had 756 yards on the ground and another 124 through the air, but oddly enough never got into the end zone despite his 204 touches on offense and 16 on special teams.

After his first season, Carpenter never had more than three carries as his role transferred to being a pass-catcher first. He ended up leading the team in receiving in 1958 with 474 yards. More than anything, that highlights how much the game has evolved. As a wideout, he never averaged less than 14.7 yards per reception.

In his career, Carpenter had just one Pro Bowl berth, which came in 1962 while with the Steelers. He finished his career as a bit of a journeyman, going from Pittsburgh to Washington, Minnesota, and finally Miami for his last season in 1967.