Ranking the 10 Best Browns Players of All Time

Ranking the greatest Cleveland Browns players of all time is an exercise in celebrating the rich history of a franchise that goes all the way back to 1946.

The Browns might not have had the most premium talent over the last 25 years, but ranking the top 10 means sifting through 18 players in the Hall of Fame and the team's Ring of Honor.

Cleveland has yet to win a Super Bowl, but the franchise won eight championships between 1946 and 1964. Many of the players on this list were pivotal to those title runs, while others etched their names in franchise history without winning a championship.

Factoring in accolades, awards, production and impact on the franchise's history, here are the 10 best Browns players of all time.

The Snapshot: A defining defensive star for one of the most successful eras in Browns history. Matthews was a consistent leader of the defense for 16 seasons.

Claim to Fame: His stretch of four Pro Bowl seasons in five years coincided with a five-year stretch where the franchise reached three AFC Championship games. He's still No. 3 on the franchise's all-time sacks list with 75.

The Body of Work: Franchise's all-time leader in Approximate Value (125). 1,430 career tackles. Four-time Pro Bowler and one-time second-team All-Pro selection. Led the NFL in tackles four times.

The Catch: Matthews and Myles Garrett are the only players on this list who haven't been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matthews' inclusion is more about his longevity and role in the most modern run of postseason success for the Browns.

The Snapshot: Bulldozing pulling guard who was a constant in one of the league's best rushing attacks.

Claim to Fame: Paved the way for three different Hall of Fame running backs, including Jim Brown. Elite contributor to the 1964 championship season. The Browns never had a losing season during his career.

The Body of Work: Played 202 games in a 15-year career. Was named a first-team All-Pro in the middle of a six-year run of Pro Bowl nominations. Pro Football Hall of Famer, Browns' Ring of Honor inductee and All-Decade Team selection.

The Catch: It's hard to judge an interior lineman from his era with no statistical evidence of what he did. The highlights are excellent and the overall run game statistics help, but it's hard to separate his individual contribution.

The Snapshot: A dominant dual-threat tight end who balanced blocking and receiving duties in an era where few tight ends were doing both.

Claim to Fame: Retired as the career leader among tight ends in receptions (662) and receiving yards (7,980), with 47 touchdown catches. Led the team in receiving for five consecutive seasons from 1981 to 1985.

The Body of Work: Still leads the franchise in receiving yards despite playing well before the modern passing revolution. Two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. Pro Football Hall of Famer and member of the 1980s All-Decade Team.

The Catch: Newsome was a part of the Browns' successful run in the late 1980s, but he was past his prime at that point. The bulk of his productive years weren't spent on winning teams.

The Snapshot: The other Hall of Fame tailback from the 1960s. It's not easy to be the guy who follows the guy , but Kelly was a great successor to Jim Brown with a 10-season career in Cleveland.

Claim to Fame: Kelly served as Brown's backup for the first two years of his career and proceeded to rip off six consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. He was also the MVP runner-up in 1968.

The Body of Work: Kelly put up 9,555 yards from scrimmage with 87 rushing and receiving touchdowns. He was a three-time first-team All-Pro who led the NFL in rushing twice and rushing touchdowns three years in a row.

The Catch: Kelly acknowledged his goal was to be one of the best backs in the league, not a "superman" like Jim Brown. He carried the torch, but his rushing production declined after his first three seasons as a starter, and the Browns never reached the same heights they had with Brown.

The Snapshot: The man who came before Jim Brown. Motley was the original star running back for the franchise and a centerpiece for an offense that won four AAFC Championships and an NFL title in 1950.

Claim to Fame: A pioneer for the organization, Motley and teammate Bill Willis broke the AAFC's color barrier in 1946, the same year Kenny Washington and Woody Strode reintegrated the NFL. Motley led the AAFC in rushing in 1948 and the NFL in 1950.

The Body of Work: Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, member of the 1940s All-Decade team and two-time first-team All-Pro selection. Motley averaged 6.4 yards per touch. The overall production, 4,712 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns, isn't up there with Brown or Kelly, but his significance on championship teams gives him a boost.

The Catch: Part of Motley's resume includes his willingness and ability as a blocker. Legendary coach Paul Brown described him as "completely unselfish." It's hard to quantify his work as a blocker, pioneer and leader.

The Snapshot: Game-wrecking edge-rusher who is well on his way to donning a Gold Jacket in Canton. There aren't many modern Browns who have reached that level.

Claim to Fame: Set the single-season sack record (23) in 2025, earning his second Defensive Player of the Year Award. In short, he's been one of the few reasons for fans to tune in to Browns games over the last nine years.

The Body of Work: His total of 125.5 sacks in a Browns uniform is tied with Dwight Freeney for 20th all time. Five-time first-team All-Pro selection in his nine seasons with Cleveland. Garrett is one of the most prolific sack artists of his era.

The Catch: Many on this list were key players for some of the best Browns teams. That's not the case for Garrett. For all of his individual accolades, Cleveland had just two winning seasons with him on the roster.

The Snapshot: The embodiment of what an NFL offensive lineman is supposed to be for over a decade. Thomas was the standard for left tackle play throughout his 11-year career.

Claim to Fame: Hall of Famer who logged 10,363 consecutive snaps while maintaining elite play year in and year out. Thomas was fiercely loyal to the organization despite a lack of team success he had little control over.

The Body of Work: Six-time first-team All-Pro selection. Was named the second-team left tackle on the All-PFF team over the last 20 years. Voted to the Pro Bowl in all but his final season. Maintained an elite level of play despite blocking for 20 different starting quarterbacks .

The Catch: Thomas was the best left tackle in the league for an extended stretch. However, even his elite pass protection wasn't enough to help the Browns achieve sustained team success during his career.

The Snapshot: Imagine combining Joe Thomas and Phil Dawson into one player, then add eight championships to his resume. Groza was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle and kicker for some of the best Browns teams ever.

Claim to Fame: Groza remains the Browns' all-time scoring leader with 1,608 points. He's the only player to be on the roster for all eight of the franchise's championships between the AAFC and NFL.

The Body of Work: Groza was a nine-time Pro Bowler and the starting tackle in six of those. Six All-Pro selections as a tackle. Made the field goal in the final seconds to deliver the 1950 NFL championship over the Los Angeles Rams.

The Catch: Groza was considered to be a top-tier tackle in his prime, but he was a kicker only from 1961 to 1967. His ranking here is more about the longevity of a 21-year career than absolute domination at his peak.

The Snapshot: Paul Brown's handpicked quarterback to lead the early Browns dynasty. Graham was an elite quarterback in the team's AAFC and early NFL days.

Claim to Fame: Quarterback for the franchise's first 10 seasons, leading Cleveland to the championship game every year. Graham executed Paul Brown's offense at an elite level and threw for 23,584 yards and 174 touchdowns with 44 more touchdowns on the ground.

The Body of Work: Earned all-league honors in nine of his 10 professional seasons. He averaged 9.0 yards per passing attempt across his AAFC and NFL career. He was the starting quarterback for seven of the Browns' eight championships across the two leagues.

The Catch: Very little. Graham was exactly what constituted a star quarterback in his era and is one of the two most accomplished players in franchise history.

The Snapshot: The team isn't actually named for him, but it might as well be. Brown is a mythical figure in Browns history and one of the all-time greats regardless of franchise.

Claim to Fame: Brown led the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons. He was a three-time NFL MVP and the engine that led the Browns to their last championship in 1964.

The Body of Work: Still ranks 12th all-time in rushing yards with 12,312 despite only playing nine seasons. Eight-time first-team All-Pro selection and nine-time Pro Bowler. Holds the NFL record for rushing yards per game with 104.3.

The Catch: There is no catch with Brown. There is only greatness.