Doug Dieken does not get much press for his work as a player outside of Cleveland, but this is one of the best value picks in franchise history.

From the University of Illinois, Dieken came in as a Sixth Round Pick in 1971, and he would stay with the Browns until he retired after the 1984 Season.  Dieken started five Games at Left Tackle as a rookie, and he became the starter the year after, which was where he stayed for over a decade.  A Pro Bowler in 1980, Dieken is one of the few players to appear in over 200 Games for the Browns.

He would later be a broadcaster for the team, and in 2006, Dieken was announced as one of the Browns' Legends.

Greg Pruitt was a bit undersized (180lb), but when you are a two-time All-American (and eventual College Football Hall of Famer), the NFL will still call, which in his case were the Browns with a high Second Round Pick in 1973.

In his rookie year, Pruitt was used as a backup Running Back and was a Pro Bowl as a returner, and it was much of the same as a sophomore, though he played more at Running Back, setting up what was to come.  In 1975, Pruitt was now the starting RB, and that year and the two that followed saw the former Sooner hit 1,000 Yards, and a third and fourth Pro Bowl (1976 & 1977).  Pruitt slowed down afterward, and eventually lost his starting role, though he was still a productive force for Cleveland.

After the 1981 Season, Pruitt joined the Los Angeles Raiders, mainly as a returner, and would win a Super Bowl Ring. With the Browns, Pruitt had 10,700 All-Purpose Yards.  Later, in 2001, Pruitt was one of the first four former Browns named to their legends category.

The Cleveland Browns got exactly what was advertised when they took the USC Linebacker with the number three pick in 1982.  

Banks was electric as a rookie, winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year with the first of what would be four Pro Bowls in five seasons.  Banks also was a First Team All-Pro (1983), and from 1982 to 1986, he was in the discussion as one of the best Linebackers in the business.  

Likely sensing potential contract issues, Banks was traded to San Diego, where he wound up sitting out the 1988 Season when he held out.  With the Browns, Banks had 27.5 Sacks, and in four of his five seasons, he had an Approximate Value of double digits. 

Unlike the 1950s and 1960s, the 1970s were not the glory days of the Cleveland Browns, but they did have some bright spots, one of which was Defensive Tackle Jerry Sherk.

Sherk was a Brown for the entirety of his 12-year career, winning the starting job on the right side as a rookie.  He would grow into one of the top pass rushers for the Browns through the decade, exceeding the 10-Sack plateau four times, accruing 70.5 in total.  From 1973 to 1976, Sherk was a Pro Bowl honoree, with the last four years seeing the former Oklahoma State Cowboy capture First Team All-Pro honors.  That year, he was so good that the NEA (Newspaper Enterprise Association) named him the Defensive Player of the Year.  The Browns named him as one of their Legends in 2005.