With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching, it feels like a good time to revisit some great moments from the Cleveland Browns draft history. The Browns have had some excellent picks throughout the years although their misses have gotten more attention since they returned to the league in 1999.
Here, we’ll focus on the positive additions they've made since then with the top five draft steals during their modern history. To be clear, a steal isn't always a late pick but rather someone who far exceeded their draft slot.
5. Joe Schobert, LB, Wisconsin (2016)
No. 5 was hard as it came down to Joe Schobert vs. Joel Bitonio. While the big guard was the better draft pick and had more longevity, the tiebreaker goes to Schobert since he was a much later selection.
Bitonio was the 35th pick in the draft out of Nevada in 2012 compared to the 99th pick for Schobert in 2016. The Wisconsin product worked in spot duty as a rookie but then exploded in year two with 144 tackles.
That number tied him with Blake Martinez of the Green Bay Packers and Preston Brown of the Buffalo Bills for the NFL lead. It also resulted in Schobert making the Pro Bowl.
He wound up leaving in free agency ahead of the 2024 season but made his mark as one of the more likable players on the team. You could still argue that Bitonio belongs ahead of Schobert. You might even throw Martin Emerson into the mix and it would be hard to knock that opinion. But again, the draft positioning gives a slight edge to Schobert over Bitonio while Emerson will fight his way into the mix with another solid season.
4. Anthony Henry, CB, South Florida (2001)
Another player picked in the 90s comes in next. Anthony Henry was chosen at No. 97 by Cleveland and had a rookie campaign to remember.
Despite starting just two games, Henry was a fixture in the secondary while appearing in all 16 games. He racked up 54 tackles and 17 pass defenses while leading the NFL with 10 interceptions. He also set a franchise record with a 97-yard pick-six.
Henry moved into the starting lineup in year two and continued to play well — despite not having as many picks. In all, he played four seasons in Cleveland and had 250 tackles, 49 pass defenses, and 17 interceptions. He then hit free agency in 2005 and was one of the more sought-after defensive backs.
The Dallas Cowboys were able to bring him in on a five-year, $25 million deal — which was a large contract for a corner at the time. He played there for four years and had another 12 interceptions before being traded to the Detroit Lions.
Henry was an older draft pick who turned 25 during his rookie campaign. Due to that, he only played for eight seasons but proved to be superior to several players selected ahead of him.
3. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame (2021)
Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah appeared to be destined for the first round. That ended up not being the case as he slid into Round 2 and it was later discovered that a heart issue was the primary reason for concern. Doctors cleared JOK but teams were still hesitant — and were also likely weary of his size.
Owusu-Koramoah entered the NFL Combine at 221 pounds. That's actually heavier than what was expected but he was still built like a safety and not a linebacker. He also said played a hybrid role at Notre Dame, but the Browns felt he would fit well in their offense and used the 52nd pick in the draft to bring him to town.
Throughout the first two years of his career, JOK proved to be a very good linebacker. He had 76 tackles as a rookie and 70 in his second season. Then in 2023, he took off.
Working with new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz — plus having a vastly improved defensive line — helped him reach his full potential. Owusu-Koramoah had a career-high in tackles (101), sacks (3.5), and interceptions (2). He was also constantly in the opposing backfield as he racked up 20 tackles for a loss.
When the Browns took JOK in the draft, they felt they landed a top-15 talent at pick 52. After three seasons, it's safe to say they were correct.
2. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia (2002)
There were some hits and some misses for the Browns 2018 NFL Draft. With the first overall pick, the selected Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma. The quarterback spent four years with the team and did well, but still didn’t turn the franchise around the way he had hoped.
At No. 4 overall, they took Denzel Ward. The cornerback from Ohio State turned out to be a stud and has been one of the best defensive backs in the NFL. Then at No. 33, they took Austin Corbett from Nevada. The guard didn’t play well for the Browns and was traded during his second season. He turned it around with the Rams and later the Panthers, but it still felt like a waste of pic for Cleveland.
Then there was pick No. 35 which was used on Georgia running back Nick Chubb. Selected after his Georgia teammate, Sony Michel, Chubb turned out to be the best running back in the class.
A knee injury suffered in 2015 while playing for the Bulldogs might’ve scared some teams off, but the Browns paid more attention to the fact that he was still running hard, and dominating after the surgery. Since coming to the Browns, he’s already climbed to No. 4 on the all-time franchise rushing list with 6, 511 yards and has 48 touchdowns.
Chubb suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 2 of the 2023 season, and might not be back to start the 2024 campaign as he recovers from the two surgeries required to repair the knee.
Cleveland reworked his contract to lower his cap hit for this coming season and added a couple of players to help keep the ground game going until he’s ready to return. When he returns, Chubb will continue to climb that list and has a shot of becoming the No. 2 running back in franchise history behind the legendary Jim Brown. Not bad for the fourth running back that year.
1. Andra Davis, LB, Florida (2002)
If the Browns thought it was confusing when they tried to call Cameron Jordan when they were looking for Jordan Cameron, then they might have really been struggling in 2002. That was the year they used a second-round pick on Virginia Tech wide receiver Andre Davis and a fifth-rounder on Andra Davis.
The first Davis didn't pan out as he had just 156 receptions for 1,412 yards and 13 touchdowns in three years. The numbers weren't terrible but considering they used the 47th pick overall to bring him in, they were less than ideal.
That wasn't the case for Andra Davis.
Chosen at No. 141 overall, the linebacker from Florida spent seven seasons in Cleveland and was a starter for six years. He racked up 787 tackles, 12 sacks, and eight interceptions for the Browns and topped 100 tackles three times during his career.
Davis headed to the Denver Broncos in 2009 and had 67 tackles and 3.5 sacks before heading to Western New York to finish his career with the Buffalo Bills.
While he never made a Pro Bowl (he should have), Davis proved to be a talented linebacker who played for 10 seasons. Considering he was selected on Day 3, that's quite the steal.