Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Browns.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Browns were awful, winning only three games.  Despite this dismal performance, there was one new entry and three elevations on the all-time list.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a new entrant to the elite group.

1. Jim Brown
2. Otto Graham
3. Joe Thomas
4. Lou Groza
5. Myles Garrett 

You can find the entire list here.

The change in the top five saw 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett move up five spots and knock Hall of Fame Tight End Ozzie Newsome from that spot.

Offensive Guard Joel Bitonio moved up three spots to #16 after adding his seventh Pro Bowl in 2024.

Running Back Nick Chubb, who is now a Houston Texan, did enough to move up one spot to #43.

The lone new entry is Cornerback Denzel Ward.  He comes in at #46.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

A consensus All-American at Ohio State, Denzel Ward was the first Defensive Back taken in the 2018 Draft, going fourth overall to Cleveland, the team that he has played his entire career for as of this writing.

Ward has been a consistent and potent presence on the Browns' secondary, using his aggressiveness and guile, and at present is a four-time Pro Bowl selection.  While the overall performance of the Cleveland defence has been spotty over his career, his defensive impact over his tenure is bested only by Myles Garrett. 

The Browns are rebuilding again in 2025, but at Left Cornerback, they have nothing to worry about.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #128.  Peak Period 2020-24

A four-time Pro Bowl Selection, Denzel Ward has sneakily been one of the most efficient Cornerbacks in the NFL.  Still in his prime, Ward has time to make a Hall of Fame case.

The Cleveland Browns have a storied history, with some of the most iconic quarterbacks ever to grace the NFL. These players didn’t just make a mark—they became legends. Below, we rank the top five quarterbacks who have defined the franchise.

Otto Graham: The Epitome of Greatness

Otto Graham's name is synonymous with excellence. Playing from 1946 to 1955, Graham led the Browns to an astonishing ten consecutive championship games, winning seven of them. His unique combination of a powerful arm and an unparalleled football IQ made him a nightmare for defenses.

Graham wasn't just playing football; he was redefining it. With three NFL championships and five All-Pro selections, his legacy remains unmatched. He set the standard for what it means to be a Cleveland Browns quarterback, and his influence still resonates in the franchise's DNA.

Bernie Kosar: The Heart of the Browns

In the mid-1980s, Bernie Kosar breathed new life into the Cleveland Browns. Drafted in a rare supplemental draft, Kosar quickly became the face of the franchise. His calm demeanor, coupled with his strategic brilliance, helped the Browns reach three AFC Championship games, the closest the team has ever been to making a Super Bowl. Known for his quick reads and mastery of the no-huddle offense, Kosar was a quarterback who could handle immense pressure.

During his tenure, the Cleveland Browns odds of making deep playoff runs were often favorable, thanks to his consistent performances. His records still stand as a testament to his skill, and his connection with the city of Cleveland remains deep, symbolizing the grit and determination that define the region.

Brian Sipe: The Kardiac Kid

Brian Sipe’s tenure with the Browns from 1974 to 1983 is often remembered for the heart-stopping moments he orchestrated on the field. Sipe wasn’t just any quarterback—he was the leader of the "Kardiac Kids," a team famous for its last-minute victories. His 1980 MVP season remains a highlight in Browns’ history, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure. Sipe’s risk-taking and never-say-die attitude endeared him to fans, and his legacy as one of the franchise’s most resilient leaders is secure.

Frank Ryan: The Championship Quarterback

Frank Ryan brought a championship to Cleveland, a feat that cemented his place among the Browns' greats. Playing from 1962 to 1968, Ryan’s leadership and precise deep passing were instrumental in the Browns’ 1964 NFL Championship victory. His ability to execute under pressure and his intelligent play-calling made him a fan favorite. Ryan’s career might have been shorter than others on this list, but his impact was profound, leaving an indelible mark on the franchise.

Baker Mayfield: The Modern Hope

Baker Mayfield, the Browns' first overall pick in 2018, arrived with a swagger and confidence that the franchise desperately needed. In his rookie year, Mayfield set the NFL record for touchdown passes by a rookie, and in 2020, he led the Browns to their first playoff win in over 25 years. His gunslinger mentality and ability to extend plays have made him a beloved figure among fans. Even though his tenure with the Browns was short, his ability to revitalize a franchise that had been struggling for so long and lacking consistent quarterback play was critical in getting the momentum moving in the right direction. Mayfield has since found success with Tampa Bay, who recently signed the quarterback to a long-term deal.

Conclusion

The Cleveland Browns have been home to some of the most remarkable quarterbacks in NFL history. From Otto Graham’s dominance to Baker Mayfield’s modern heroics, each of these players has left an indelible legacy. As the franchise continues to evolve, these quarterbacks will forever be remembered as the pillars of Cleveland Browns history.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Browns.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Browns returned to the playoffs but could not get past their first game.  There were no new entries and two elevations in our Top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Jim Brown
2. Otto Graham
3. Joe Thomas
4. Lou Groza
5. Ozzie Newsome

You can find the entire list here.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett rocketed to #12 from #32.

Left Tackle Joel Bitonio, on a six-year Pro Bowl streak, climbed to #18 from #24. 

Notably, Running Back Nick Chubb remains at #44.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Browns.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following:

1. Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Browns were a trendy pick to make it to the Super Bowl, but not only did that not happen, they failed to make the playoffs. This did not impact a new entrant occurring as well as two significant elevations from occurring.

As always, we present our top five, which had no changes.

1. Jim Brown

2. Otto Graham

3. Joe Thomas

4. Lou Groza

5. Ozzie Newsomb

You can find the entire list here.

Joel Bitonio, who has starred on the Browns O-Line for the past half-decade, rocketed to #24 from #38.

Defensive End, Myles Garrett advances to #32 from 44.

Running Back, Nick Chubb, makes his first appearance at #44.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

The Cleveland Browns have always loved their Running Backs, and if you are going to find a good one; a great place to look is an SEC power.

Chubb starred at the University of Georgia, and went early in the Second Round of the 2018 Draft to Cleveland. After a decent rookie year where he had 996 Rushing Yards, Chubb entered 2019 as the undisputed lead back. In his first four years, Chubb rushed for over 1,000 Yards, and had a career-high of 1,525 in 2022

Chubb's four-year streak of elite-level rushing came to an end in 2023 when he suffered a knee injury in week 2, and he was out for the rest of the season with a damaged ACL.  He returned to play 10 games for the Browns in 2024, but only had 332 Rushing Yards.  Chubb left the Browns for Houston as a Free Agent, and overall had 7,885 Yards From Scrimmage with 56 TDs.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post-2021 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Browns.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Cleveland reached the playoff for the first time in years, and even with their long and convoluted history, we saw changes in our top 50 with one new entrant and one elevation.

As always, we present our top five, which had no changes:

1. Jim Brown

2. Otto Graham

3. Joe Thomas

4. Lou Groza

5. Ozzie Newsome

You can find the entire list here.

Offensive Lineman, Joel Bitonio, moved up ten spots to #38.  He is on a four-year run of Pro Bowl Selections and All-Pros, with 2021 being his best year to date.

Defensive End, Myles Garrett, makes his debut at #44.  Garrett is a former number one overall pick, who is a two-time First Team Al-Pro.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

The Cleveland Browns have been on a roller coaster ride since Myles Garrett arrived, and when times were good, the signs all pointed to Garrett.

Garrett was a consensus All-American at Texas A&M, and the Browns made him the number one pick in 2017.  The Defensive End did not have a great rookie year, but showed what he was capable of as a sophomore, earning Pro Bowl accolades in 2018, which he followed up with a second and third in 2020 and 2021, with those last two years seeing First Team All-Pro honors.  Garrett established himself as one of the top pass-rushers in football, and he was only getting started.

Garrett finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022 and won the elite award in 2024, where he led the NFL in Approximate Value (20).  Last season, Garrett secured his fourth First Team All-Pro, led the NFL in Tackles for Loss (22), and was third in DPOY voting.  The Browns were awful that year, and Garrett looked for greener pastures.  It looked like the Garrett-Cleveland marriage was over, but the Browns were able to sign Garrett to a long-term contract in the 2025 off-season.

The 2025 season sees Garrett entering a five-year Pro Bowl and seven-year double-digit Sack streak, and should substantially add to his 102.5 Sacks and 116 Tackles for Loss.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Cleveland Browns. 

Formed in 1946 by Paul Brown, the Browns were an inaugural team in the All-American Football Conference.  Cleveland was an undisputed power in the new football league, winning the four Championships in the league’s existence.  The AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, and to the shock of the stalwarts, Cleveland won the 1950 NFL Championship.

The Browns remained a power for years, winning the NFL Championship in 1954 and 1955, and they would draft Jim Brown, whose rushing skills transformed the game.  They would win it all again in 1964.  The Browns haven’t been to a title game since.

In 1995, Browns owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore, but a deal was struck with the city of Cleveland, keeping the intellectual property of the Browns with the city.  The Browns were back in 1999 but have not made a deep playoff run in this incarnation.

Our Top 50 lists in football look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2020 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Jim Brown

2. Otto Graham

3. Joe Thomas

4. Lou Groza

5. Ozzie Newsome

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our more material coming soon!

As always, we thank you for your support.

From the University of Nevada, Joel Bitonio made an impression as a Lobo, securing a Second Round Selection from Cleveland in the 2014 Draft.

Bitonio won the starting job at Left Guard, earning an All-Rookie Selection, but a litany of injuries held him to 15 Games in 2015 and 2016.  Healthier in 2017, Bitonio established himself as a rising Lineman, and he elevated his game the following year. He is currently on a seven-year streak of Pro Bowls, during which he has seen the Linemen earn four All-Pro Selections, including two First Team All-Pros.

Going into 2025, the Browns are an enigma, but Bitonio is a welcoming stability of greatness on a confusing team.

Out of East Carolina, Earnest Byner made the Cleveland Browns as a Tenth Round Pick, showing dual skills as a rusher and receiver throughout his career.  

Byner cracked 1,000 Rushing Yards as s sophomore (1,005), and though that was his best rushing year, he was still productive, not just statistically but also as a blocker.  Byner helped Cleveland reach the AFC Championship Game in 1987, but it would be a tragic event for him.

Byner will, however, remain synonymous with that the game, as he was stripped of the ball at the Denver 8-yard line with a minute left to go and the Browns down by seven.  "The Fumble" haunts Browns fans to this day.  

Byner played another season for Cleveland before he was traded to Washington, but he did come back in 1994.  He played four more seasons, the first two with the Browns and the next two in Baltimore when the franchise relocated.

As a Brown, Byner had 5,994 Yards From Scrimmage with 37 Touchdowns.  He was also welcomed back in 2006 as one of their Legends.

From small Adams State, Don Cockroft played all thirteen of his seasons (1968-80) with the Cleveland Browns.

Cockroft was Cleveland's Place Kicker and Punter for his first nine seasons and was just a Kicker in his last four.  Cockroft never went to the Pro Bowl, but three times he led the NFL in Field Goal Percentage and once led the league in Punting Yards.  With 1,080 Points, Cockroft is third all-time in franchise history, and was rewarded by the Browns as one of their Legends in 2007.

A member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his work at Baylor, Bill Glass began his pro career in Detroit, but four years later, in 1962, he was traded to Cleveland, which proved to be beneficial for the Defensive End.

In his first year as a Brown, Glass became Cleveland's top pass rusher, accruing 15.5 Sacks and going to his first Pro Bowl.  Glass again was a Pro Bowler the next two seasons and was a big part of their 1964 NFL Championship.  

Glass set a personal best in 16.5 Sacks in 1965 and had 15 the following year.  Again with double-digits in Sacks (10.5) in 1967, Glass earned his fourth Pro Bowl.  Retiring in 1968, Glass had 77.5 Sacks for the Browns, and Cleveland listed him as one of their Legends in 2007.

Abe Gibron played his first year of pro football (1949) with the original Buffalo Bills of the AAFC, but that would be the last year of the upstart league, and the Bills were not one of the organizations that would merge with the NFL.  A deal was struck with the Browns, and the outgoing Bills ownership sent Gibron and two other players to Cleveland in exchange for a small portion of club ownership.

It was a fantastic landing place for Gibron, who helped the Browns win the 1950 NFL Championship as a backup Guard.  As his game improved, Gibron generated a four-year run of Pro Bowls (1952-55), with him playing critical roles in the 1954 and 1955 Titles.

Gibron was released the following year, and he continued to play on with stints in Philadelphia and Chicago.  The Browns would induct him as one of their team Legends in 2015.

A star at Purdue, Mike Pruitt only had to travel one state east when the Browns drafted him in the Second Round in 1976.  Pruitt did not have a lot of playing time early on, but after receiving more playing time in 1978, the Fullback was poised for a breakout.

In 1979, Pruitt had the best year as a pro, posting what would be personal bests in Rushing Yards (1,294) and Yards From Scrimmage (1,666) and a trip to the Pro Bowl was his reward.  Pruitt went to the Pro Bowl again in 1980, again going over 1,500 Yards from Scrimmage. 

The Pro Bowls were over for Pruitt, but not the production.  He again had over 1,500 YFS in 1981, and in 1983, Pruitt had his fourth 1,000-yard rushing year with the Browns.

Pruitt slowed down afterward and would be released before the 1985 Season.  With Cleveland, Pruitt collected 8,301 Yards From Scrimmage and was named a Legend by the team in 2004.

Another product of Ohio State who became a Cleveland Brown, Jim Houston was a First Rounder in 1960, and the Linebacker became a starter during his rookie year.

The Browns in the 60s were known more for their explosive offense, but it was players like Houston that were needed to keep the balance on the other side.  Houston was a member of the 1964 NFL Championship Team, and individually, he earned four Pro Bowls and the nickname of Mr. Dependable".

Houston played until 1972, all of which were as a Brown.  Statistically, he had 14 Interceptions and 29.5 Sacks, and Cleveland would call Houston's name as one of their Legends in 2006.

A collegiate player at Ohio State, Tommy James played with the Detroit Lions of the NFL in his rookie year, but he was cut following a year with a broken arm.  Like Brown did with many former Buckeyes, Paul Brown signed James, and he would make the Cleveland Browns for the 1948 Season.

James was a good Defensive Back who helped Cleveland win the last two AAFC Championships and the 1950 NFL Championship when the leagues merged.  Named to the Pro Bowl in 1953, James would win two more Titles in 1954 and 1955 while picking off QBs for 34 Interceptions.  The Browns would name James as one of their Legends in 2004.

An All-American at Kansas State, Clarence Scott was the recipient of Cleveland’s First Round Pick (14^th Overall) in 1971, and it was with the Browns that he would spend his entire 13-year career.

Scott started at Cornerback, and he would record at least two Interceptions every year except for 1972.  A Pro Bowler in 1973, Scott cracked the five-pick mark that year and had four other years with four.

Scott would move to Safety in the last five years of his career but remained a starter until his final year in 1983.  Scott would have 39 Interceptions over his career, and in 2012, the Browns named him as one of their 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.