5 best first-round draft picks in Cleveland Browns’ history feat. Myles Garrett

We examine the Cleveland Browns' successful first-round draft selection history as the 2025 NFL Draft draws near.

The Browns' No. 2 overall pick this season will likely pique fans' interest, but for now, let's examine the team's history by rating its greatest first-round selections.

Ranking the Cleveland Browns’ best first round picks in history

#5 - Joe Thomas (offensive tackle) - No. 3 overall, 2007

Joe Thomas played 10,363 successive snaps as an offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns from his rookie season until 2017. He didn't miss a game during his career until his final season, when a torn triceps tendon forced him to retire.

Despite playing for six different coaches and guarding for about 20 different starting quarterbacks while playing for a poor Browns team that only had one winning season during his tenure, Thomas was ideal for Cleveland as a left tackle. He was chosen for ten Pro Bowls and six All-Pros.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2023.

#4 - Ozzie Newsome (tight end) - No. 23 overall, 1978

Rated among the best players in the history of the Cleveland Browns, Ozzie Newsome was a very effective and influential tight end who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

In Cleveland, Newsome was agile enough to sprint down the field and receive passes and was also huge enough to block. He was among the first tight ends in NFL history to assist in the vertical passing game as a result. He still owns the team's records for receiving yards (7,980) and catches (662).

During his 13 years with the Browns, Newsome—a three-time Pro Bowler—helped the team qualify for the postseason on seven occasions, including three AFC Championship Games.

#3 - Myles Garrett (defensive end) - No. 1 overall, 2017

Myles Garrett has accumulated a wealth of individual accomplishments since being selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns eight years ago. He is a six-time All-Pro, six-time Pro-Bowler and the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. He has recorded 102.5 total sacks in 117 games and has surpassed nine sacks in seven of his eight seasons.

Even though the Browns haven't had much success lately, Garrett has consistently shown since joining the NFL that he is among the league's top defensive players. With the recent four-year contract extension offered to him by the Browns, Garrett has now become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

#2 - Paul Warfield (wide receiver) - No. 11 overall, 1964

Paul Warfield, who was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft, led the Cleveland Browns in every receiving metric with 52 catches, 920 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season. He significantly increased the output of the Browns' offense that year, which helped the team win its first NFL title in nine years.

Warfield caught 271 passes for 5,210 yards and 52 touchdowns during his eight years with the Browns in the NFL. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

#1 - Jim Brown (fullback) - No. 6 overall, 1957

Jim Brown earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in each season he played in the NFL, making him one of the greatest players in NFL history. In a career that saw him accumulate 12,312 rushing yards, 2,499 receiving yards, and 126 total touchdowns, he was also named the AP MVP three times.

In addition to winning the 1957 NFL Rookie of the Year title, Brown led the league in rushing on eight occasions in just nine seasons. With the Browns, he won an NFL championship in 1964 and helped guide the team to the championship game three times: in 1957, 1964, and 1965. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.