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.

Drafted 13^th Overall from the University of Texas in 1989, Eric Metcalf would become one of the most versatile offensive weapons in Browns' history.

Listed as a Running Back, rushed for only 2,229 Yards in is six years in Cleveland, but he was also a threat in the air, catching 297 passes for 2,732 Yards over the same timeframe.  Metcalf truly shined in the return game, and he would lead the NFL in Kick Return Yards in 1990 and was a Pro Bowl Selection in 1993 and 1994.  A First Team All-Pro in 1993, Metcalf led the league in All-Purpose Yards (1,932).  He left Cleveland for Atlanta after the 1994 Season.

As a Brown, Metcalf had 31 Touchdowns with 9,108 All-Purpose Yards.  Cleveland would also induct Metcalf as a Legend in 2008.

After his college career ended, Warren Lahr signed with the Cleveland Browns as a backup Quarterback in 1948.  Injuries kept him from playing, but he was ready to suit up in 1949, where he would become a Safety and help the Browns win the last AAFC Title of the league's existence.

Lahr, who was almost cut at one point, would become a top defender for Paul Brown's squad, and he became a certifiable ball hawk who nabbed 44 Interceptions over his 11-year career, all with Cleveland.  He was an essential part of the Browns NFL Championships in 1950, 1954 and 1955, and went to the Pro Bowl in 1953.  Cleveland named Lahr as an honored Legend in 2008.

After three years in the NFL, Don Colo found a steady home in Cleveland, where he was a silent but lethal contributor to Paul Brown and his defensive corps.

Colo was instrumental in Cleveland's 1954 and 1955 NFL Championships, with the Defensive Tackle using his size and speed to collect three Pro Bowls and three Second Team All-Pros.  Colo might be forgotten by some, but not by us, and not by the Browns, who announced him as one of their Legends in 2015.

Gary Collins was one of the first major offensive stars at Maryland, where he set numerous receiving records and was eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in his 1961 All-American season.  The Browns landed Collins with the Fourth Overall Pick for the 1962 Draft, and he joined an already potent squad.

Collins was eased into the receiving part of the game, only catching 11 passes as a rookie, but he was immediately the team's starting Punter, a role in which he led the NFL in Yards per Punt in 1965.  A member of the 1964 NFL Championship Team, Collins led the NFL in Receiving Touchdowns (13) in 1963 and had 70 in total in a career spent entirely with the Browns.

Collins was also a two-time Pro Bowl Selection and recorded 5,299 Yards from the air.  The Browns would honor Collins as one of his Legends in 2004.

After being drafted in the Fourth Round by the Browns in 1964, Jim Ray Smith played at Defensive End as a rookie.  Smith was not a starter but played well enough for Paul Brown to think his talents would be better served on the Offensive Line.  As was often the case, Brown was right.

Smith gained six starts at Right Guard in 1957 and moved to Left Guard the following year, where he began a five-year streak of Pro Bowls.  Carving holes for his great backfield (mainly Jim Brown), Smith was chosen for three First Team All-Pros and two Second Team All-Pros.  He retired after the 1962 season but was coerced out of it by the Dallas Cowboys, who traded for his rights.

Smith played two more years before he retired for good, and in 2005, the Browns named him to their list of honored Legends.

A 1981 First Round Pick from Southern Mississippi, Hanford Dixon played nine seasons in the National Football League, all with the Cleveland Browns.

Playing at Cornerback, Dixon started 128 of his 131 Games on the right side, and he would come into his own in the last half of the decade.  Dixon went to three consecutive Pro Bowls (1986-88), with the first two achieving First Team All-Pro status.  

Dixon secured 26 Interceptions over his career and is credited with naming the Browns' defense the "Dawg Pound," which took a life of its own.  The Browns named Dixon to the list of Legends in 2003.

Taken in the 4^th Round from North Texas, Ray Renfro was one of the many players that Paul Brown acquired who turned out to be a hidden gem.

Renfro played his entire 12-year career with the Browns, with the middle ten as one of the better Flankers in football.  A three-time Pro Bowl Selection, Renfro led the NFL in Receiving Yards per Game in 1955 and accumulated 5,508 Receiving Yards over his career, an excellent tally for his era.  Renfro proved to be a key part of two NFL Championships (1954 & 1955).

He would later win a Super Bowl as the Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers Coach for Dallas.  The Browns named Renfro to their legends list in 2001.

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.

After a promising career at Louisville, Frank Minnifield was not drafted by any NFL team, but he landed employment with the Chicago Blitz of the USFL.  As the team migrated to Arizona, he proved himself NFL worthy, though he had to sue his way out of the fledgling league.  Once he did, the Cleveland Browns were waiting.

Minnifield was an All-Rookie starter at Cornerback, and by his third year, he was named to his first of four Pro Bowls.  In the last half of the 1980s, Minnifield was one of the best at his position, and he was a First Team All-Pro in 1988 and a Second Team Selection in 1987 and 1989.  Known for his devastating hits, Minnifield was a favorite of the Browns fans, and he remains one of the more popular figures in team history.

Minnifield was injured for most of the 1990 season, and he was not the same player afterward.  He remained with the Browns until he retired after the 1992 Season.

Minnifield is best known for coining the term "Dawg Pound" alongside fellow defensive star Hanford Dixon.  That will long outlive any Brown or Browns fan.  The team named Minnifield as one of their legends in 2005.

Through the rules at the time, Miami Hurricanes Quarterback and National Champion Bernie Kosar were available in the 1985 Supplemental Draft, which allowed him to play for the team he wanted to, the Cleveland Browns.

Kosar started as a backup to Gary Danielson, but an injury to the incumbent escalated Kosar’s emergence as a starter.  While Kosar had feet of concrete, he had an accurate and fast arm, and led the Browns to the playoffs.  Kosar remained the team's starter, and the offense shifted to a more pass-oriented style.  He took Cleveland to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to Denver, but Kosar was established as a high-profile football player.

Statistically speaking, 1987 was his best year, as he had his second straight 3,000 Yard year and threw for a career-high 22 Touchdowns.  Kosar went to the Pro Bowl that year, which would be the only time he received that honor.  He would have two more 3,400-Yard plus years for Cleveland, but the beginning of the end for Kosar as a Brown was the emergence of Vinny Testaverde and Head Coach Bill Belichick, who was not enamored with Kosar.

Testaverde would become the starter in 1993, and Kosar was released during the season.

Kosar might not have reached the expectation placed on him, but he was immensely popular in his prime and threw for 21,904 Yards and 116 Touchdowns as a Brown.  The organization named him as a Legend in the first group in 2001.

After establishing himself as one of the top Guards of the 1970s with the Buffalo Bills, Joe DeLamielleure was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1980.  

DeLamielleure, who had five Pro Bowls with the Bills and was a blocker for O.J. Simpson star turns, made history in his first season with the Browns.  Not only did DeLamielleure earn his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl, but he also became the first lineman to block a 2,000-yard rusher (Simpson) and protect a 4000-yard passer (Brian Sipe).  Sipe won the MVP, and arguably, it would not have happened without DeLamielleure.

A Second Team All-Pro in 1980, DeLamielleure was so again in 1983, though his Pro Bowls were behind him.  He was still a solid veteran in the locker room, and his blue-collar style of play was perfect for the rust belt franchises he played for.  After being released before the 1985 season, he rejoined the Bills for one last year.

DeLamielleure was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and is a member of both the Browns Ring of Honor and Bills Wall of Fame.

Frank Ryan played his first four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, and while he was never a primary starter, he was considered a Quarterback with potential.  When the Rams drafted Roman Gabriel, Ryan was traded to Cleveland, where he would have the best run of his career.

Ryan was pegged to be the backup to Jim Ninowski, but an injury to the incumbent elevated Ryan to the role of starting Quarterback, and he would become one of the most underappreciated pivots of the game.  Ryan flourished in the role, leading the NFL in Touchdown Passes twice (1964 & 1966), and he led Cleveland to the NFL Championship in '64.  

Ryan went to three Pro Bowls, and as a Brown, had a TD-INT record of 134-88, which does not seem impressive but was remarkable for his era.  He is the second Quarterback and last after Otto Graham, to win a title as a Brown.  The Browns named Ryan as one of their Legends in 2005.

An exceptionally popular player during his days in Cleveland (the local McDonalds franchises even had a sandwich named after him for a time), Michael Dean Perry was a defensive beast who, while with the Browns, was one of the leaders of a strong defense.  MDP would go to five Pro Bowls as a Brown (his sixth coming with Denver), and the big man was a First Team All-Pro and Second Team All-Pro twice.  He was also named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1989.

In 2001, Perry was part of the first group of four who was named a Legend by the team.

Bob Gain was drafted 5^th Overall in 1951 by the Green Bay Packers, but he elected to play in Canada with the Ottawa Rough Riders instead.  

The following year the former Outland Trophy winner's NFL rights were in the hands of the Cleveland Browns, and the two-way star was happy to return to his home state of Ohio.  Gain was at his best when he played Defensive Tackle, and his work was a large part of the Browns' Championship wins in 1954, 1955, and later in 1964.  From 1957 to 1962, he would be chosen for five Pro Bowls.

Gain would be honored by the Browns when they named him one of their Legends.

William “Dub” Jones was a top athlete in Louisiana at LSU and then Tulane before being drafted second overall by Chicago Cardinals in 1946.  The Cards never saw Jones, as he opted for Miami of the new All-American Football Conference.  Jones was traded during the season to Brooklyn, who later was traded to the shrewd Paul Brown and his Cleveland Browns, who knew that Jones was a player that he wanted to have.

Cleveland won the AAFC Championship in both 1948 and 1949, with Jones providing a supporting role.  When Cleveland and other AAFC teams merged with the NFL, the Louisianan had a more prominent role, and the Browns won the NFL Championship.  

As the 1950s moved on, Jones had his best years, going to the Pro Bowl and 1951 and 1952, with the latter year seeing the Halfback exceed over 1,000 Yards From Scrimmage.  He played for Cleveland until 1955, retiring with two more NFL Championships and 4,784 YFS with 40 Touchdowns.  The Browns would honor Jones as a Legend in their 2004 group.

Bobby Mitchell was one of the many finds that Paul Brown found in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft, in his case, the Seventh in 1958. 

Mitchell was used as an everything weapon for the Browns, rushing, receiving, and returning.  In the four seasons he competed for Cleveland, Mitchell accumulated 5,916 All-Purpose Yards, and was in the top six in all of those seasons.  With Jim Brown, Mitchell was expendable, and he was traded to Washington for the college star Ernie Davis, who unbeknownst to all parties, had leukemia and never played in the NFL.

Mitchell, who was also traded in part to force Washington to integrate, was a huge part of Washington’s offense.  He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and was chosen for the first class of the Browns Ring of Honor in 2010.

Walt Michaels was one of the best players that small Washington & Lee College ever produced, and the Browns took him in the Seventh Round in 1951.  Cleveland didn't use him that year, not because he wasn't good enough, but because they traded him to Green Bay before the season started.  After one year in Green Bay, Paul Brown saw something special in Michaels and traded three players to get him back.  It was a steal.

Michaels emerged as a starting Linebacker for the Browns and became one of their leaders on the defensive side of the ball.  He helped Cleveland win back-to-back NFL Championships (1954 & 1955) while stringing off five straight Pro Bowls (1955-59).  Michaels, who acted as the defensive signal-caller, was an expert tackler, and it is believed that if Tackles were recorded in the 1950s, he would be amongst the top in that statistic.  

He retired after the 1961 season, though he would play one more year in the AFL a year later with the New York Jets.  The Browns honored Michaels as one of their Legends in 2006.

Brian Sipe had a slow journey from San Diego State to NFL stardom, as the 13^th Round Pick needed two years on the taxi squad before making the Browns team.

Sipe was a backup in his first two years, starting seven times, and while he was believed to be talented, there was no reason to think he was going to be a Pro Bowler.  He was elevated to the team's starting Quarterback in 1976, and after a few years of the team treading water, Sipe had a breakout at age 30 (1979), leading the NFL in Touchdown Passes (28), though also in Interceptions (26), with 3,793 Yards.  The Browns were now contenders and known for their comebacks, earning them the "Kardiac Kids" nickname for their heart-stopping moments.

Sipe had his best year in 1980, taking the team to AFC Conference Finals.  In the regular season, he had 30 Touchdown Passes but reduced his picks to 14.  He also had a career-high 4,132 Passing Yards, and he led the NFL in Passer Rating (91.4).  Sipe was awarded the AP and UPI MVP Award for his efforts.

The Browns struggled afterward, but Sipe was still considered a good QB, though he was benched during 1982.  Following the 1983 Season, Sipe bolted for New Jersey of the USFL, which was the league where he ended his career.

Sipe threw for 23,713 Yards and 154 Touchdowns, and was named a Cleveland Browns Legend in 2002.