Best draft picks in Cleveland Browns history
Stacker compiled a list of the best draft picks in Cleveland Browns history using career Weighted Approximate Value (wAV), a metric developed by Pro-Football-Reference.com to estimate career impact. The ranking also lists individual accolades such as Pro Bowl selections, First-Team All-Pro honors, and total years as a starter. Players were assigned to their originally drafted teams, excluding any draft-day trades. Data is as of April 2026.
#9. Bobby Mitchell (1958, Round 7, Pick 84) (tie)
- Position: FL
- Career wAV: 88
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 148
- Seasons as Starter: 10
#9. Gene Hickerson (1957, Round 7, Pick 78) (tie)
- Position: G
- Career wAV: 88
- Pro Bowls: 6
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 202
- Seasons as Starter: 13
#7. Clay Matthews (1978, Round 1, Pick 12) (tie)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 94
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 278
- Seasons as Starter: 16
#7. Dick Schafrath (1959, Round 2, Pick 23) (tie)
- Position: T
- Career wAV: 94
- Pro Bowls: 6
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 176
- Seasons as Starter: 12
#6. Henry Jordan (1957, Round 5, Pick 52)
- Position: DT
- Career wAV: 95
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 5
- Games Played: 163
- Seasons as Starter: 10
#5. Jim Marshall (1960, Round 4, Pick 44)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 102
- Pro Bowls: 2
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 282
- Seasons as Starter: 20
#4. Willie Davis (1956, Round 15, Pick 181)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 103
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 5
- Games Played: 162
- Seasons as Starter: 10
#3. Myles Garrett (2017, Round 1, Pick 1)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 104
- Pro Bowls: 7
- First-Team All-Pro: 5
- Games Played: 134
- Seasons as Starter: 9
#1. Paul Warfield (1964, Round 1, Pick 11) (tie)
- Position: WR
- Career wAV: 108
- Pro Bowls: 8
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 157
- Seasons as Starter: 11
#1. Jim Brown (1957, Round 1, Pick 6) (tie)
- Position: FB
- Career wAV: 108
- Pro Bowls: 9
- First-Team All-Pro: 8
- Games Played: 118
- Seasons as Starter: 9
Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 12:29 PM.