The 10 best wide receivers in the history of the Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are historically known for being a great rushing team, and while that's primarily true, there have been some good wide receivers to don the Brown and Orange. The receivers they've had over their storied existence won’t crack any top lists overall, but that doesn't take anything away from what these players have accomplished.

Quarterbacks get a bulk of the glory, and rightfully so, but they wouldn’t have such great stats without having good receivers. Amari Cooper has been the Browns' No. 1 wideout since general manager Andrew Berry committed highway robbery when he gave up a mere fifth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys. In 2023, Cooper, who is seeking a new deal, will return as Deshaun Watson’s top target, along with newly acquired Jerry Jeudy.

This year’s group of receivers and those that follow them have some big shoes to fill when it comes to matching the success many former wideouts achieved while a member of the Browns. If Cooper can continue to be his usual self, and the other receivers around him can step up, this Browns team can make some serious noise come January.

Criteria for selection

• Statistical achievements/team records
• Impact on success
• Longevity
• Individual awards

The top 10 wide receivers in Cleveland Browns history

10. Josh Gordon

Tenure with the Browns: 2012-18
Key stats in Cleveland: 180 receptions, 3,106 yards, 16 touchdowns

Josh Gordon is one of the biggest “what-ifs?” in Browns history. The best ability is availability, but unfortunately for Gordon and Cleveland, he was only available for 41 career games due to serving multiple full-season suspensions for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

When he was actually available, he was electric and instantly became beloved by the Cleveland faithful. Gordon was drafted with the first pick in the 2012 Supplemental Draft and had instant success, catching 50 passes for 805 yards and five touchdowns. In his sophomore season, he put on a show for the ages.

Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 yards on 87 receptions and nine touchdowns in 14 games. He missed the first two games of the season for his first suspension for a substance abuse policy violation. In this season, he became the first wide receiver in NFL history to have over 200 receiving yards in consecutive games, when he torched the Steelers for 237 yards and hung 261 on the Jaguars.

Gordon could have been one of the all-time greats, not only for the Browns but for the entire NFL. Oh, what could have been.

9. Kevin Johnson

Tenure with the Browns: 1999-2003
Key stats in Cleveland: 315 receptions, 3,836 yards, 23 touchdowns

Kevin Johnson was selected with the 32nd pick in the 1999 NFL Draft when the Browns came back to the league. They took Tim Couch first overall to be the next franchise quarterback, so the pick of Johnson made sense as Couch would need somebody to target.

Johnson had a strong rookie campaign, hauling in 66 passes for 986 yards and eight touchdowns. However, the Browns were not good and finished 2-14, earning the No. 1 pick in the 2000 draft. Johnson finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, receiving one vote, behind Colts running back Edgerrin James, who turned out to be pretty, pretty, pretty good.

In 2001, Johnson became the first Browns receiver since 1989 to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau, finishing with 1,097 yards on 84 receptions and nine touchdowns. The next year, he hauled in 67 passes for 703 yards and four touchdowns to help lead Cleveland to the playoffs for the first time in the new era.

8. Braylon Edwards

Tenure with the Browns: 2005-09
Key stats in Cleveland: 238 receptions, 3,697 yards, 28 touchdowns

The Browns drafted Braylon Edwards third overall in the 2005 NFL Draft after he was college football’s top receiver in 2004. The tenure got off to a rocky start as Edwards held out of training camp due to a contract dispute. In his first professional season, he caught 32 balls for 512 yards and a trio of touchdowns in 10 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

A year later, he nearly doubled his production with 61 catches for 884 yards and six touchdowns. In his third season, Edwards erupted for career highs across the board with 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns. His touchdown total was second in the NFL, only behind Randy Moss, who set the single-season record of 23 with Tom Brady. Not bad company to keep.

Edwards did not build upon his success and played in the next 20 games for the Browns before being traded to the Jets, where he said he needed a “fresh start.”

7. Jarvis Landry

Tenure with the Browns: 2018-2021
Key stats in Cleveland: 288 receptions, 3,560 yards, 15 touchdowns

The placement of Jarvis Landry on this list might ruffle some feathers as he is a Cleveland Browns legend, at least according to the fanbase. Landry became an instant fan favorite, largely due to his “contagious” speech on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

Landry came to The Land via a trade with the Miami Dolphins for a fourth- and seventh-round pick a year after he led the NFL in receptions. He continued his success during his first two years with the Browns by being selected to the Pro Bowl. In 2019, Landry had his best season with Cleveland, catching 83 passes for 1,174 yards and six touchdowns.

The Browns returned to the playoffs in 2020, and Landry helped lead the way on and off the field. He caught 72 balls for 840 yards and three touchdowns and even threw a touchdown pass. He put up 92 yards on five receptions and a touchdown against the Steelers in a 48-37 wild-card victory, giving the team a playoff victory for the first time in 26 years.

The Dawg Pound faithful will forever have a special place for Landry in their hearts, and rightfully so. He fizzled out with the Browns, but that’s OK because he did help usher in a new era of Browns football.

6. Webster Slaughter

Tenure with the Browns: 1986-91
Key stats in Cleveland: 305 receptions, 4,834 yards, 27 touchdowns

When it comes to Webster Slaughter, you have to think of the word consistency. He only had one season with over 1,000 yards, but in all the other seasons he played for the Browns — outside of the 1988 season when he suffered an injury — he gave the team 40-65 receptions and 577-906 yards.

Slaughter was part of four Cleveland teams that made the playoffs and played a crucial part in some of those playoff games. The late '80s were a great period for the Dawg Pound, until ultimately John Elway had a say, and Slaughter was an integral part of the team’s success. He made the Pro Bowl in his lone 1,000-yard season, racking up 65 catches for 1,236 yards and six touchdowns.

Paul Warfield, who we will see later on this list, was an unofficial scout for the Browns in 1986 and recommended to then-Browns general manager Ernie Accorsi that he should draft Slaughter, which he did with the 43rd overall pick. Slaughter lived up to the recommendation and made the Pro Bowl for the second time with the Houston Oilers in 1993. He was selected to the Cleveland Browns Legends program in 2020.

5. Mac Speedie

Tenure with the Browns: 1946-52
Key stats in Cleveland: 349 receptions, 5,602 yards, 33 touchdowns

Mac Speedie joined the Browns in 1946, four years after being selected in the 15th round of the 1942 draft. He spent four years in the United States military during World War II, and then he and quarterback Otto Graham linked up often during the late 1940s.

Speedie averaged 800 yards per season and had two 1,000-yard campaigns, the first coming in 1947 when he caught 67 passes for 1,146 yards and six touchdowns and then again in 1949 (62/1,028/7). He was a first-team All-Pro from ’47-49 and helped lead the Browns to four consecutive AAFC Championships and an NFL Championship in 1950.

The rest of Speedie’s resume is stacked as he was also a second-team All-Pro twice. He led the AAFC in receptions three times and yards twice (his two 1,000-yard seasons). He was named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2020) and the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor (2021). That is one heck of a football career and list of accolades.

Speedie went on to win an AFL Championship as an end coach with the Houston Oilers in 1960 and then he coached the Denver Broncos but did not fare well, going 6-19-1

4. Ray Renfro

Tenure with the Browns: 1952-63
Key stats in Cleveland: 349 receptions, 5,602 yards, 33 touchdowns

Of this list, Ray Renfro played in the most games while in a Browns uniform. He possessed dynamic speed that helped himself and Cleveland for 12 professional seasons. Renfro was a fourth-round draft pick in 1952 and turned out a good career.

Renfro started his pro career as a running back, but due to issues holding onto the ball, he was moved primarily to receiver in a switch that would pay dividends. He made the Pro Bowl three times and also helped lead the Browns to NFL Championships in 1954 and 1955. He averaged 19.6 yards per reception, which is what made him so useful in the powerful offense of the Browns.

Despite never going over 1,000 yards in a season, Renfro has the fourth-most receiving yards in franchise history. He played in 142 games scattered over 12 seasons and was able to haul in 50 touchdown passes.

Two years after he was done playing, he transitioned to coaching and was the running backs coach for the Lions in 1965. A year later, he went on to be the wide receivers coach in Washington for the next two seasons. He then went on to be the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach of the Cowboys and was part of the staff when Dallas won Super Bowl VI.

3. Paul Warfield

Tenure with the Browns: 1964-1969
Key stats in Cleveland: 271 receptions, 5,210 yards, 52 touchdowns

Paul Warfield played for just six seasons with the Cleveland Browns, but he made the most of the time. Warfield was taken 11th overall in the 1964 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, and he certainly lived up to the billing.

He averaged 19.6 yards per reception on 271 catches and recorded 5,210 yards and 52 touchdowns. While he may not have the hardware and accolades accumulated by others on this list, he is still third in receiving touchdowns in Browns history. He also has the sixth-most receiving yards in franchise history.

In his rookie season, he caught 52 passes for 920 yards and nine touchdowns, which helped the Browns secure the NFL Championship, the last title the franchise has seen. He finished tied for second in the NFL AP Rookie of the Year voting, behind only Paul Krause and Charley Taylor, both playing for Washington. He was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983, his first year on the ballot, and the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor in 2010.

After playing for the Browns, Warfield took his talents to South Beach, where he would win two Super Bowls and later be inducted into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll.

2. Gary Collins

Tenure with the Browns: 1964-52
Key stats in Cleveland: 349 receptions, 5,602 yards, 33 touchdowns

When it comes to receiving touchdowns in Cleveland Browns history, there is nobody better than Gary Collins, who was able to find the end zone on 70 different occasions. The wildest part of his career is that he was drafted fourth overall in 1962 to be the punter.

Collins was primarily the punter in his rookie season but then transitioned to both a punter and receiver. In his first season fully cemented in the offense, he caught 43 passes for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns. This was the first of four seasons with double-digit touchdown receptions.

In 1964, Collins hauled in 35 passes for 544 yards and eight touchdowns but came up the biggest when it mattered the most. In the 1964 NFL Championship Game, Collins caught three touchdown passes from quarterback Frank Ryan en route to being named MVP.

Collins was a three-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. He was named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and should be a strong candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has similar or better numbers than other receivers who donned the gold jacket.

1. Dante Lavelli

Tenure with the Browns: 1946-56
Key stats in Cleveland: 386 receptions, 6,488 yards, 62 touchdowns

If you look back at the criteria for this list, then there is no question that Dante Lavelli belongs at the No. 1 spot. He has the statistical achievements, impact on success, longevity, and individual awards. First and foremost, he served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945, fighting in World War II.

In his first season with the Browns in 1946, he caught 40 passes for 843 yards, which led the league, and eight touchdowns. For the first five seasons Lavelli played with the Browns, the team went on to win four consecutive AAFC Championships and an NFL Championship in 1950. In his rookie campaign, he caught the game-winning touchdown against the New York Yankees. (No, not those New York Yankees.)

The Browns repeated as NFL Champions in 1954-55, and in those two seasons, Lavelli caught 78 passes for 1,294 yards and 11 touchdowns. He earned Pro Bowl honors on three separate occasions, which, oddly enough, doesn't include his rookie season. He was named an AP second-team All-Pro, however.

So, to recap Lavelli’s resume, he was a seven-time champion, a three-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, and the AAFC receptions co-leader and receiving yards leader in 1946. He was named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor in 2010.

There have been a lot of good receivers for the Browns since the team emerged onto the scene in 1946, but there is none better than Dante Lavelli.

 The 10 best wide receivers in Cleveland Browns history by receiving yards

More Browns coverage