The Browns have a heavy presence in The MMQB’s All-Time NFL Draft from start to finish and were one of just two teams to have multiple first-round selections.
Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown and quarterback Otto Graham were first-round selections in the 12-team, mock draft that tasked personnel experts, football historians and longtime writers to assemble an entire football team out of a pool of every player in the sport's history.
Brown, who remains the only player in league history to finish his career with an average of more than 100 rushing yards per game, was the sixth overall selection by longtime talent evaluator Gil Brandt. At No. 10, former GM and current NFL analyst Bill Polian selected Graham, the third quarterback to come off the board. Johnny Unitas (3) and Tom Brady (9) were the only signal-callers taken ahead of Graham, who starred for the Browns from 1946-55.
Running back Marion Motley and wide receiver Paul Warfield were next up as back to back picks at the end of the fourth round and start of the fifth round while Willie Davis, who began his career in Cleveland, and Len Ford went 59th and 60th overall. Of note, former Browns GM Ernie Accorsi selected Motley, one of the first African-Americans to play professional football, and Ford, a key defensive player on multiple Cleveland championship teams in the 1950s.
Joe Thomas, the only current Browns player to make the list, went 69th overall. He was the third-highest selected active player on the list behind Brady and Houston DL J.J. Watt.
Of the remaining selections, seven are Hall of Famers -- G Gene Hickerson (119), G Joe DeLamielleure (165), T Mike McCormack (166), T Lou Groza (176), TE Ozzie Newsome (179), LB Bill Willis (239), WR Bobby Mitchell (298) and three others are Browns legends -- WR Mac Speedie (170), K/P Don Cockroft (251), P Horace Gillom (289).
Two former Browns coaches, Bill Belichick and Paul Brown, were selected in the final round.
Check out the full draft results here.
