Anyone who follows the NFL knows that the Cleveland Browns have been the laughing stock of the league for years. I mean, they didn’t win a single football game this year and they only won one last year.
So, in honor of the worst team in the NFL having two top five picks, I’ll be counting down the top five worst first round picks in Browns history.
5. William Green:
As his name implies, Green loved weed. He was a stellar athlete coming out of college but there were lingering concerns about his substance use. He had a decent first year but got arrested for a DUI and possession charge and sat out the rest of the year. The following season, he was stabbed in an altercation with his wife and missed the entire season. Then, the season after that, he was ejected for fighting and was injured all season when the Browns finally released him. He finished with nine touchdowns and 11 fumbles in four seasons with the Browns.
4. Trent Richardson:
The former Heisman Trophy winner and National Championship came out as one of the highest rated running backs in draft history. He had the size, the speed, and the hands that would make any draft analyst and general manager foam at the mouth. But sometimes, talent just doesn’t translate in the professional level and Richardson was a prime example.
3. Courtney Brown:
I know what y’all are thinking, who? The former Big-10 Defensive Player of the year, Chuck Bednarik, and Lombardi Award winner was a stud in college, racking up 33 sacks over his career. But with injuries such as dislocated ankles, major knee injuries, and torn biceps, Brown’s career was cut short when the Browns released him three years after they drafted him.
2. Tim Couch:
Couch was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1999 draft and his entire career was plagued with injuries. He wasn’t an absolutely terrible player, he just seemed to choke when it matters most. And the worst part is that the Browns missed out on players like Champ Bailey, Donovan McNabb, and Tennessee’s own Peerless Price.
1. Johnny Manziel:
I mean, the man only played eight games for the Browns and threw as many touchdowns as he did interceptions. He was drafted over the like of Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jimmy Garoppolo. His brief stint with the Browns came to an end when he checked into rehab and he hasn’t played a snap in the NFL since.
