List of Cleveland Browns first-round draft picks explained

The Cleveland Browns joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1950 with the Baltimore Colts and San Francisco 49ers after having spent four seasons with the All-America Football Conference. The Browns' first selection as an NFL team was Ken Carpenter, a wide receiver from Oregon State. The team's most recent first round selection was Greg Newsome II, a cornerback from Northwestern.

Every year during April, each NFL franchise seeks to add new players to its roster through a collegiate draft known as "the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting", which is more commonly known as the NFL Draft. Teams are ranked in inverse order based on the previous season's record, with teams missing the playoffs picking first, and then playoff teams in the inverse order of elimination. Teams have the option of trading away their picks to other teams for different picks, players, cash, or a combination thereof. Thus, it is not uncommon for a team's actual draft pick to differ from their assigned draft pick, or for a team to have extra or no draft picks in any round due to these trades.

The Browns did not have any draft choices from 1996 to 1998, because then-owner Art Modell took all the team's players to Baltimore, Maryland, effectively stopping the franchise. However, the NFL mandated that the Browns' name, colors, and franchise history remain in Cleveland and that the team would reactivate by 1999. In 1999, the Browns selected number one overall, drafting University of Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch.

The Browns have selected number one overall five times: Bobby Garrett (1954), Tim Couch (1999), Courtney Brown (2000), Myles Garrett (2017) and Baker Mayfield (2018). The team has also selected number two overall only once and number three overall six times. The Browns have selected players from the University of Michigan five times, Ohio State University and the University of Southern California four times, and the University of Florida three times. Five eventual Hall of Famers were selected by the Browns: Doug Atkins, Jim Brown, Paul Warfield, Ozzie Newsome and Joe Thomas.

Player selections

Year! scope=col style=";"
Pickscope=col style=";"Player namescope=col style=";"Positionscope=col style=";"Collegescope=col class=unsortable style=";"Notes
scope=row align="center" 195013Ken CarpenterRBOregon State
scope=row align="center" 195114Kenny KonzDBLSU
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 195210Bert RechicharDB/KTennessee[1]
12Harry AgganisQBBoston[2]
scope=row align="center" 195311Doug Atkins †DETennessee
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 19541Bobby Garrett *QBStanford[3]
12John BauerOG/OTIllinois
scope=row align="center" 195513Kurt BurrisCOklahoma
scope=row align="center" 195613Preston CarpenterE/RB/TEArkansas
scope=row align="center" 19576Jim Brown †FBSyracuse
scope=row align="center" 195813Jim ShofnerDBTCU
scope=row align="center" 195911Rich KreitlingWRIllinois
scope=row align="center" 19608Jim HoustonDE/LBOhio State
scope=row align="center" 196110Bobby CrespinoTEMississippi[4]
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 19624Gary CollinsWR/PMaryland[5]
11Leroy JacksonRBWestern Illinois[6]
scope=row align="center" 19639Tom HutchinsonWRKentucky
scope=row align="center" 196411Paul Warfield †WROhio State
scope=row align="center" 196513th pick traded to San Francisco, used to select George Donnelly[7]
scope=row align="center" 196614Milt MorinTEMassachusetts
scope=row align="center" 196718Bob MathesonLBDuke
scope=row align="center" 196821Marv UpshawDLTrinity
scope=row align="center" 196920Ron JohnsonRBMichigan
Year! scope=col style=";"
Pickscope=col style=";"Player namescope=col style=";"Positionscope=col style=";"Collegescope=col class=unsortable style=";"Notes
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 19703Mike PhippsQBPurdue[8]
21Bob McKayOTTexas
scope=row align="center" 197114Clarence ScottDBKansas
scope=row align="center" 197218Thom DardenDBMichigan
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 197316Steve HoldenWRArizona State[9]
22Pete AdamsOGUSC
scope=row align="center" 197415th pick traded to San Diego, used to select Don Goode[10]
scope=row align="center" 19755Mack MitchellDLHouston
scope=row align="center" 19767Mike PruittFBPurdue
scope=row align="center" 197717Robert JacksonLBTexas A&M
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 197812Clay MatthewsLBUSC
23Ozzie Newsome †TEAlabama[11]
scope=row align="center" 197920Willis AdamsWRHouston[12]
scope=row align="center" 198027Charles WhiteRBUSC[13]
scope=row align="center" 198122Hanford DixonCBSouthern Miss
scope=row align="center" 19823Chip BanksLBUSC
scope=row align="center" 198314th pick traded to Buffalo, used to select Jim Kelly[14]
scope=row align="center" 198418Don RogersSUCLA
scope=row align="center" 19857th pick traded to Green Bay via Buffalo, used to select Ken Ruettgers[15]
scope=row align="center" 198620th pick traded to Buffalo, used to select Will Wolford[16]
scope=row align="center" 19875Mike JunkinLBDuke[17]
scope=row align="center" 198821Clifford CharltonLBFlorida
scope=row align="center" 198913Eric MetcalfRB/WRTexas[18]
scope=row align="center" 199018th pick traded to Green Bay, used to select Tony Bennett[19]
scope=row align="center" 19912Eric TurnerDBUCLA
scope=row align="center" 19929Tommy VardellFBStanford
scope=row align="center" 199314Steve EverittCMichigan[20]
scope=rowgroup rowspan="2" align="center" 19949Antonio LanghamCBAlabama
29Derrick AlexanderWRMichigan[21]
scope=row align="center" 199530Craig PowellLBOhio State[22]
scope=row align="center" 1996Franchise deactivated
no team in Cleveland from 1996 to 1998
scope=row align="center" 1997
scope=row align="center" 1998
scope=row align="center" 19991Tim Couch *QBKentucky
scope=row align="center" 20001Courtney Brown *DEPenn State
scope=row align="center" 20013Gerard WarrenDTFlorida
scope=row align="center" 200216William GreenRBBoston College[23]
scope=row align="center" 200321Jeff FaineCNotre Dame
scope=row align="center" 20046Kellen Winslow IITEMiami[24]
scope=row align="center" 20053Braylon EdwardsWRMichigan
scope=row align="center" 200613Kamerion WimbleyLBFlorida State[25]
scope=rowgroup align="center" rowspan="2" 20073Joe Thomas †OTWisconsin[26]
22Brady QuinnQBNotre Dame[27]
scope=row align="center" 200822nd pick traded to Dallas, used to select Felix Jones
scope=row align="center" 200921— Alex MackCCalifornia[28]
scope=row align="center" 20107— Joe HadenCBFlorida
scope=row align="center" 201121— Phil TaylorDTBaylor
scope=rowgroup align="center" rowspan="2" 20123— Trent RichardsonRBAlabama
22— Brandon WeedenQBOklahoma State
scope=row align="center" 20136— Barkevious MingoOLBLSU
scope=rowgroup align="center" rowspan="2" 20148— Justin GilbertCBOklahoma State
22— Johnny ManzielQBTexas A&M
scope=rowgroup align="center" rowspan="2" 201512— Danny SheltonDTWashington
19— Cameron ErvingCFlorida State
scope=row align="center" 201615— Corey ColemanWRBaylor
scope=rowgroup align="center" rowspan="3"20171Myles Garrett *DETexas A&M
25Jabrill PeppersSMichigan
29David NjokuTEMiami
scope=rowgroup align="center" rowspan="2" 20181Baker Mayfield *QBOklahoma
4Denzel WardCBOhio State
scope=row align="center"201917th pick traded to NY Giants, used to select Dexter Lawrence[29]
scope=row align="center" 202010— Jedrick WillsOTAlabama
scope=row align="center" 202126Greg Newsome IICBNorthwestern
scope=row align="center" 202213th pick traded to Philadelphia via Houston, used to select Jordan Davis[30]
scope=row align="center" 202312th pick traded to Detroit via Houston and Arizona, used to select Jahmyr Gibbs
scope=row align="center" 202423rd pick traded to Jacksonville via Houston and Minnesota, used to select Brian Thomas Jr.

References

Notes and References

  1. The Browns acquired their first pick in 1952 from Detroit for E/T Jim Martin.
  2. Harry Agganis did not take a snap for the Browns in the NFL, opting instead to play professional baseball for the Boston Red Sox as the team's starting first baseman.
  3. The Browns' first pick in 1954 was a bonus lottery choice.
  4. The Browns traded their first pick in 1961 to Dallas for T Paul Dickson and the Cowboys' first pick in 1962. The Browns acquired another pick from Detroit along with LB Robert Long for QB Jim Ninowski.
  5. The Browns acquired their first pick in 1962 from Dallas along with T Paul Dickson for the Browns' first pick in 1961.
  6. The Browns traded the rights to Jackson to Washington for the Redskins' rights to Ernie Davis. Davis was later diagnosed with leukemia and died before playing a game with the Browns.
  7. The Browns' first pick in 1965 was traded to San Francisco for G Ted Connolly.
  8. The Browns acquired their first pick in 1970 from Miami for WR Paul Warfield.
  9. The Browns acquired their first pick in 1973 from New York along with the Giants' second choice (acquired from New England) for DE Jack Gregory and CB Freddie Summers.
  10. The Browns' first pick in 1974 was traded to San Diego along with the Browns' second pick in 1975 for LB Bob Babich and the Chargers' fourth pick in 1975.
  11. The Browns' acquired their second pick in 1978 from Los Angeles along with Washington's fourth pick (acquired from Washington through Chicago for the Bears' first pick) for QB Mike Phipps.
  12. The Browns traded their first pick in 1979 to San Diego for the Chargers' first and second picks.
  13. The Browns traded their first and New England's sixth pick (acquired from New England) to Los Angeles for the Rams' first and fourth picks plus San Diego's second and Green Bay's fifth (acquired from San Diego and Green Bay respectively) picks.
  14. The Browns' first pick in 1983 was traded to Buffalo along with the Browns' third pick in 1984 and fifth pick in 1985 for LB Tom Cousineau.
  15. The Browns traded their first pick in 1985 to Buffalo along with the Browns' third pick and the Browns' first and sixth picks in 1986 for Buffalo's first pick in the 1985 supplemental draft.
  16. The Browns traded their first pick in 1986 to Buffalo along with the Browns' sixth pick and the Browns first and third picks from 1985 for Buffalo's first pick in the 1985 supplemental draft.
  17. The Browns traded their first pick in 1987 to San Diego along with Browns' second pick and LB Chip Banks for San Diego's first and second picks.
  18. The Browns traded their first pick in 1988 to Denver along with the Browns' second, fifth and ninth picks for the Broncos' first pick.
  19. The Browns traded their first pick in 1990 to Green Bay along with the Browns' third and fifth picks in 1989 and RB Herman Fontenot for the Packers' second pick and fifth pick in 1989.
  20. The Browns acquired their first pick in 1993 from Denver along with the Broncos' third pick for the Browns' first pick.
  21. The Browns acquired their second pick in 1994 from Philadelphia for the Browns' third pick and the Browns' second pick in the 1995 draft.
  22. The Browns traded their first pick in 1995 to San Francisco for the 49ers' first and fourth picks and the 49ers' first pick in the 1996 draft.
  23. The Browns won this pick via a coin flip against Atlanta.
  24. The Browns traded their first pick in 2004 to Detroit along with the Browns' second pick for the Lions' first pick.
  25. The Browns traded their first pick in 2006 to Baltimore for the Ravens' first pick.
  26. The Browns won this pick via a coin toss against Tampa Bay.
  27. The Browns traded their second-round pick in 2007 and first-round pick in 2008 to Dallas for their first-round pick in 2007.
  28. Cleveland traded down three times in the first round, sending the fifth overall pick to the Jets (who used it to select Mark Sanchez), and then traded down two more times (with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia) before selecting Alex Mack with the 21st overall pick.
    News: Tony . Grossi . Cleveland Browns get more picks (and more Jets) on a busy opening day in NFL draft . . Cleveland, Ohio . 2009-04-25 . 2009-08-09 . 2009-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090721034741/http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/04/cleveland_browns_get_more_pick.html . live .
  29. The Browns traded this pick, their third round pick (95th overall) and SS Jabrill Peppers to the Giants in exchange for WR Odell Beckham Jr.
  30. The Browns traded these picks, their 2022 fourth round pick (107th overall), their 2023 third round pick (73rd overall), and their 2024 fourth round pick (123rd overall) to the Texans in exchange for QB Deshaun Watson and their 2024 sixth round pick (203rd overall).

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Cleveland Browns first-round draft picks".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.