Top 50 Cleveland Browns
The ranking of the Cleveland Browns is one of the more complicated ones in our big four Professional sports teams, as this is the only one that relocated and was given back to the city in question.
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.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 season.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Jim Brown is a football god. We could end it here, but out of deference to the man we think is not only the most outstanding rusher in the history of the game but the best offensive player ever, we will go through all the reasons why Jim Brown is the best player in franchise history, and arguably the greatest…
Long before Jim Brown arrived on Lake Erie, Otto Graham established the baseline of excellence for the Cleveland Browns. A multi-sport standout at Northwestern, Graham was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 1943 and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. While enrolled in Navy flight school at Colgate, he continued to showcase his athletic versatility by playing professional…
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett arrived in Cleveland as a consensus All-American and a generational physical talent. Joining a franchise navigating turbulent years, the defensive end immediately stepped into the spotlight as the Browns' unquestioned cornerstone, blossoming into one of the most feared edge rushers in professional football history. Garrett combined explosive…
Drafted third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin—where he captured the 2006 Outland Trophy as college football's premier interior lineman—Joe Thomas arrived in Cleveland as a generational standard at left tackle. Joining a franchise navigating two decades of organizational turbulence, Thomas stood as an unbreakable pillar of perfection, delivering an era of unmatched individual brilliance on the…
An original Cleveland Brown, Lou Groza was recruited by Paul Brown, primarily to act as the Browns’ Place Kicker. Groza led the AAFC in Points in his rookie year, and after two seasons, Groza also helped out on Cleveland’s Offensive Line, and he would perform a dual-role for the next twelve seasons. The Browns won the first four AAFC Championships, and…
Selected 23rd overall in 1978 from Alabama, where he shined as an All-American under Bear Bryant, Ozzie Newsome made a remarkable impact in Cleveland, transforming the role of an NFL tight end. As a key part of a Browns team stepping into a competitive era, "The Wizard of Oz" led the offense with a blend of clever route-running, gentle hands,…
From Ole Miss, Gene Hickerson was chosen in the Seventh Round in the 1957 Draft, where Cleveland Browns Head Coach, Paul Brown, liked his speed and moved him to the Right Tackle position, where he became their starter in his second season. As Hickerson improved, his 1961 Season was taken from him due to a broken leg, but he returned the…
Drafted in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1959 NFL Draft from Ohio State—where he served as captain of a national championship team—Dick Schafrath entered the professional arena in Cleveland as a formidable force. Throughout a 13-year career exclusively with the Browns, "The Mule" upheld the left tackle position with exceptional leverage and superior mobility, facilitating one of the…
In 1946, Marion Motley signed with the Cleveland Browns, joining his teammate Bill Willis, and reentered professional football. Despite facing significant racial hostility, he emerged as one of the most formidable athletes of his time. During his eight-season tenure with Cleveland, Motley was recognized as an indomitable power runner and an elite pass protector, functioning as the key physical force…
Joined by legendary head coach Paul Brown in 1946 after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Frank Gatski earned a spot on the inaugural Cleveland Browns through a walk-on tryout. Over 11 seasons in Cleveland, "Gunner" anchored the offensive line with relentless consistency and mistake-free mechanics, serving as the unsung offensive centerpiece for one of the greatest…
Drafted in the eighth round (110th overall) of the 1964 NFL Draft from Morgan State, Leroy Kelly confronted an extraordinarily challenging endeavor: succeeding Jim Brown. After dedicating two seasons as a distinguished contributor on special teams and serving as Brown's understudy, Kelly assumed the starting position when Brown unexpectedly retired prior to the 1966 season. Over the subsequent eight years,…
Playing for Paul Brown at Ohio State during their 1942 national championship season, Dante Lavelli put his football career on hold to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II, participating in the Battle of the Bulge. Upon returning home, he reunited with Brown on the inaugural 1946 Cleveland Browns, quickly earning the moniker "Gluefingers" for his miraculous hands…
Selected in the 15th round (135th overall) of the 1942 NFL Draft out of Utah by the Detroit Lions, Mac Speedie chose to pause his professional football journey to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. After returning, he eagerly tried out for Paul Brown's inaugural 1946 Cleveland Browns in the emerging All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Speedie secured…
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From Nevada, Joel Bitonio was taken in the second round (35th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Nevada, and immediately established himself as a generational fixture on the offensive line. Over a 12-season career spent entirely in brown and orange, Bitonio anchored the left guard position with iron-clad durability, elite technique, and unwavering loyalty to the franchise. Bitonio…
Clay Matthews Jr. carried on an unmatched football lineage. The son of four-year NFL veteran Clay Matthews Sr. and older brother to Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, Clay Jr. spent the first 16 of his 19 professional seasons in Cleveland after he was drafted 12th overall in 1978. He established himself as the ultimate defensive iron-man…
Selected in the 1950 AAFC dispersal draft after spending his first two professional seasons with the Los Angeles Dons, Len Ford arrived in Cleveland as a game-changing defensive force. Over eight seasons in brown and orange, Ford anchored the defensive line with unblockable edge power and relentless pursuit, fundamentally changing how the defensive end position was played in professional football.…
The Browns selected Paul Warfield from Ohio State with the 11th overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft, and the Warren native didn’t have to travel far to begin his pro journey. Transitioning from a collegiate halfback to a full-time wide receiver under head coach Blanton Collier, Warfield brought an immediate, game-breaking dynamic to Cleveland's offense. His impact was immediate.…
Drafted in the third round of the 1951 NFL Draft out of Kansas, Mike McCormack began his professional career with the New York Yanks before stepping away to serve his country in the Korean War. By the time he returned from military service, the Yanks franchise had folded, and its assets were transferred to the newly formed Baltimore Colts. Legendary…
A standout two-way player and a core part of Ohio State's 1942 national championship squad, Bill Willis wanted to continue playing football after graduating in 1945. At the time, an unspoken color barrier kept African-Americans out of the National Football League, leaving him with no professional path forward until the creation of the All-America Football Conference. When Paul Brown took…
