Top 10 Reasons Why the Browns Have Failed Since 1999 – #9 Draft Woes Have Plagued Browns

Year: 2006

Number of Picks Used: 10

First Round Picks: 1 – Kameron Wimbley, LB, 13^th overall

Second Round Picks: 1 – D’Qwell Jackson, LB, 34^th overall

Third Round Picks: 1 – Travis Wilson, WR, 78^th overall

Pro Bowlers: 1 – Jackson, once.

Longest in NFL: Jackson, 2015, 127 career games.

Longest with Browns: Jackson, 2013, 97 career games.

Noted: Savage got a sixth-rounder from Baltimore to flip-flop the 12^th and 13^th picks. Baltimore took NT Haloti Ngata, a five-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. Wimbley, who had 11 sacks as a rookie, was traded to the Raiders for a third-round pick following the 2009 season and played five more seasons. Jackson rebounded from missing 26 games in 2009-10 to start every game at middle linebacker for the next five seasons. He was released by the Browns following the 2013 season and he quickly signed with the Indianapolis Colts, where he made the Pro Bowl last season. Wilson, who brashly proclaimed he was the “best receiver in the draft,” only caught two passes in his NFL career. Fifth-round running back Jerome Harrison rushed for 284 yards for the Browns against the Chiefs late in 2009, but didn’t amount to much after. Sixth-round fullback Lawrence Vickers played in 106 career games and retired following the 2012 season.

Year: 2007

Number of Picks Used: 7

First Round Picks: 2 – Joe Thomas, LT, 3^rd overall; Brady Quinn, QB, 22^nd overall

Second Round Picks: 1 – Eric Wright, CB, 53^rd overall

Third Round Picks: None

Pro Bowlers: 1 – Thomas, 8 times.

Longest in NFL: Thomas, 2015, 142 career games.

Longest with Browns: Thomas, see above.

Noted: This could have been the draft that saved the franchise had Quinn, a local product from Notre Dame who plummeted to the 22^nd overall pick, panned out. The Browns gave up next year’s first round to the Cowboys to take Quinn, who only started 12 games in three seasons with the Browns before being traded to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder and running back Peyton Hillis in 2010. Thomas has been the pillar of consistency, having never missed a snap in nine seasons and is line for his ninth-straight Pro Bowl. Wright and fourth-round pick Brandon McDonald each flamed out as Browns and wound up forming one of the worst secondary’s of all time in 2011 with Detroit. Only five of the Browns’ seven picks wound up playing in the NFL.

Year: 2008

Number of Picks Used: 5

First Round Picks: None.

Second Round Picks: None.

Third Round Picks: None

Pro Bowlers: None.

Longest in NFL: Athyba Rubin, NT (sixth round), 2015, 113 career games.

Longest with Browns: Rubin, 2014, 99 career games.

Noted: The Browns traded the first rounder to Dallas for Quinn the year before, the second-rounder to Green Bay for defensive lineman Corey Williams and the third-rounder to Detroit for nose tackle Shaun Rogers. Linebacker Beau Bell (fourth rounder, 104^th overall) was the Browns’ top pick that year, and his NFL career lasted all of five games. Rubin started 75 of his 99 games with the Browns before being allowed to leave as a free agent and signed with defending NFC champion Seattle. This was Phil Savage’s final draft with the Browns.

Year: 2009

Number of Picks Used: 8

First Round Picks: 1 – Alex Mack, C, 21^st overall

Second Round Picks: 3 – Brian Robiskie, WR, 36^th overall; Mohammed Massaquoi, WR, 50^th overall; David Veikune, LB, 52^nd overall

Third Round Picks: None

Pro Bowlers: 1 – Mack, twice.

Longest in NFL: Mack, 2015, 99 career games.

Longest with Browns: Mack, see above.

Noted: The Browns traded down three times in the first round before settling on Mack, who wound up being one of the best draft picks the team has ever made. They originally had the fifth pick, which was traded to the Jets who took QB Mark Sanchez. Robiskie and Massaquoi both didn’t pan out as NFL receivers – Massaquoi was out of the NFL after four season with the Browns, while Robiskie was released midway through the 2011 season and played with three more teams over the next 2.5 seasons. The Browns’ second-best pick that season never played a down with the team. Safety Don Carey was claimed by Jacksonville as the Browns tried to pass him through waivers following training camp and he is in fifth season with the Lions as a valuable member of their secondary and special teams. Veikune only played two seasons and 14 games.

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