With the long lead-up to the NFL Draft finally reaching the big day, Browns fans are just about tired of mock drafts and projections. Like a kid a few days before Christmas, they just want to see what Santa left under the doggone tree. In just a few more days, the anticipation will be over.
Holding the No. 6 overall pick, a development seared into memory at this juncture, some fans may be wondering what the yield has been at that slot over recent history. While it has no bearing on the future, it's interesting to see how other teams have fared when selecting at the same position.
The results are far-ranging, with some no-doubt home runs among the group. Nonetheless, there is still the ever-present cautionary tale to keep fans up at night.
Without further ado, here are the last 10 No. 6 overall picks, ranked.
The recent history of the No. 6 pick paints an encouraging picture for Browns fans
10. 2019: QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Notable stats: 32–49–1 career record, 17,683 yards, 64.7% completion, 89 TDs, 55 interceptions, 86.6 passer rating, 2025 PFF rank: 23rd out of 43 qualifiers at QB
Jones gets the dubious distinction of being the last-ranked player drafted at this slot over the last 10 years. Despite admitted highs such as his 2022 season, which saw him lead the Giants to a playoff victory, and a 2025 resurgence with the Colts through the first 13 weeks before an Achilles injury, Jones has never lived up to his draft billing.
His standing as good enough to be a starter in the league in 2026 could actually be seen as an indictment of the position as a whole. While Jones is hardly the worst QB ever, it's safe to assume the Giants would try a different avenue if given the opportunity.
9. 2025: RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
Notable stats: 266 attempts, 975 yards (3.7 average), and 5 TDs, 2025 PFF rank: 34th out of 55 qualifiers at RB
It's not the fairest thing in the world to label Jeanty as a bust or disappointment, but heavy is the crown when a team decides to take a running back with such a premium selection. While he did lead the class in rushing as a rookie, fellow classmates TreVeyon Henderson (911 yards, Pick No. 38), Quinshon Judkins (827 yards, Pick No. 36), and Jacory Croskey-Merritt (805 yards, Pick No. 205), weren't far behind, despite significantly lesser investment from their respective franchises.
Position value will make it difficult for Jeanty to ever truly ascend on this list, as most teams selecting this high have opted for higher-value positions. Nonetheless, the Raiders wound up as the league's worst team for a reason in 2025. Jeanty will have a chance to rebound in 2026 with an entirely new regime from the one that brought him in just a year ago.
The Jeanty selection should serve as a cautionary tale should the Browns buck the trend and select Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love at No. 6.
8. 2022: OT Ikem Ekwonu, Carolina Panthers
Notable stats: 64 games played with 64 starts, 2025 PFF rank: 36th out of 89 qualifiers at OT
Ekwonu represents a different worry for Browns fans, as he is the least glowing example of an offensive tackle (a position Cleveland would reportedly like to address early) selected at this draft position. He hasn't been bad by any metric, but one could safely assume the Panthers would opt for the Seahawks' Charles Cross or the Cowboys' Tyler Smith should they have a do-over.
Making matters worse for Ekwonu's future outlook is the ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the 2025 wild-card round against the Los Angeles Rams. With a long road to recovery ahead and an admittedly worrisome injury, things could definitely be better for the Panthers.
7. 2023: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Notable stats: 43 games played with 43 starts, 2025 PFF rank: 20th out of 89 qualifiers at OT
You'd be hard-pressed to find a team in a more dire situation than the Arizona Cardinals in 2026 — they make the Browns look like contenders by contrast. One of their few bright spots is Paris Johnson Jr. The 24-year-old has already solidified himself as one of the league's best offensive tackles, and he will seemingly only improve.
The Cardinals don't have an answer at quarterback, but at the very least, they know that when they find one, he'll have the most premium spot along the offensive line in front of him settled.
6. 2024: WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Notable stats: 127 receptions, 1,475 yards (11.6 average), 9 TDs, one-time Pro Bowler
Nabers kicked off his NFL career with a bang. The latest in what seems to be an inevitable pipeline of superstar wideouts hailing from LSU, Nabers' 109-reception, 1,204-yard rookie campaign came in 15 games, catching passes from the incredibly underwhelming quartet of signal-callers employed by the 2024 New York Giants (Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle).
If not for the torn ACL he suffered after only four games in his sophomore season, there's a realistic possibility he would've made the Pro Bowl again. The Giants hope he'll rebound nicely in 2026 alongside their QB of the future, Jaxson Dart.
5. 2021: WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Notable stats: 373 receptions, 5,039 yards (13.5 average), 26 TDs, 2025 PFF rank: 12th of 81 qualifiers at WR
Johnson Jr., Nabers, and Waddle are all very close together. They are all very good players at important positions. Waddle gets the edge here, as he has put up impressive numbers despite a treacherous quarterback situation for the majority of his career. He was also paired with future Hall of Famer Tyreek Hill for two of his three best seasons — a development that undoubtedly affected his personal production.
Waddle was absolutely robbed of a Pro Bowl nod in 2022, a season in which he racked up 75 receptions, 1,356 yards (a league-leading 18.1 average), and eight touchdowns. While it remains to be seen if he reaches his full potential under Sean Payton's tutelage in Denver, his track record seems to indicate it would be a good bet to make.
4. 2017: S Jamal Adams, New York Jets
Notable stats: 546 tackles, 55 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, four interceptions, eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, two-time 2nd Team All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, 2025 PFF rank: 33rd out of 88 qualifiers at LB
Jamal Adams is one of the most difficult players to rank for a few reasons. For one, despite shining so brightly, his star fizzled out quickly. All of his accolades came in his first four seasons, before injuries torpedoed his career following his trade to the Seattle Seahawks. The positional value of safety also complicates matters.
Nonetheless, Jamal Adams was one of the league's best defenders after being drafted. A rare successful draft choice for the New York Jets, even they couldn't ruin his potential. Of course, their ineptitude led to his eventual trade demand, because the Jets are going to Jet. He had a quiet renaissance after a position change with the Raiders in 2025. It remains to be seen if that leads to anything, but it's clear that Adams was a stud before injuries took their toll.
3. 2016: OT Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
Notable stats: 120 games played with 120 starts, two-time Pro Bowler, one-time First-Team All Pro, PFF rank: 35th out of 89 qualifiers at OT, fifth in Pass Block Win Rate according to ESPN
It's hard to overstate the value of the left tackle position. Having solidified output at the position for a decade? Priceless. The Baltimore Ravens used a rare losing season to their advantage, grabbing the dependable Notre Dame star at that juncture.
Stanley has been a regular starter, minus his injury-ravaged 2020 and 2021 campaigns. It should come as no surprise that in Lamar Jackson's MVP-winning seasons (2019 and 2023), Stanley was protecting his blindside for 14 and 13 games, respectively.
2. 2020: QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Notable stats: 53-43 career record, 24,820 yards, 66.5% completion, 163 TDs, 58 interceptions, 96.3 passer rating, two-time Pro Bowler, 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2025 PFF rank: 9th out of 43 qualifiers at QB
While you could make a case that Herbert has not had a "better" career than Stanley, Adams, or even the receivers on this list, his positional value gets him the nod. Herbert is one of the league's most polarizing QBs, as his defenders frequently decry the deficiencies around him, while his detractors note his shrinking in the biggest moments of his career (namely, the playoffs).
In any case, he has played himself into the top-10 conversation at the position, a conversation nearly two dozen teams wish they could be a part of. A QB with his resume would clear anyone the Browns have had at the position with relative ease. In 2026, Herbert will be paired with offensive whiz Mike McDaniel, a change that should propel the Chargers to a new level if he keeps up his end of the bargain.
1. 2018: OG Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
Notable stats: 129 games played with 129 starts, six-time Pro Bowler, three-time 1st Team All-Pro, three-time 2nd Team All-Pro, 2025 PFF rank: 4th out of 81 qualifiers at OG
The much-deserved top spot goes to none other than the Indianapolis Colts' Quenton Nelson. To step on the field as a rookie and already be one of the league's best puts him in rare company. The fact that he's maintained top-level play throughout a remarkably healthy career makes it all the more impressive.
Using Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame monitor, Nelson's 56.25 score already ranks 26th all-time. Having just turned 30 years old, Nelson is far from done in the NFL, and the likelihood of him climbing the leaderboard is more a matter of when than if. If his 2025 PFF ranking was any indication, there are no signs of slowing down for the former Notre Dame star.
If the Browns are able to draft a player who is even remotely in the same ballpark as Quenton Nelson come draft day, fans will be ecstatic with the pick for years to come.
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