NFL Mock Draft: Cleveland Browns First Round Re-Draft Since 1999

Since their rebirth in 1999 back into the NFL, the Cleveland Browns have had less-than-stellar first round draft picks.

Of all these first round picks over the past 12 years only two remain on the current roster and both are on the offensive line.

Those two are Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas and 2009 first round pick, center Alex Mack.

One of the biggest issues the Browns have faced is instability in their front office and with President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert now in charge, this makes it the fifth front office change in 12 years.

One group comes in and cleans house, then the next does the same. Even Holmgren traded both former first round picks in quarterback Brady Quinn and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley this offseason since he obviously felt they are not a fit for his vision.

Since this is draft week, I have gone back and looked at every Browns draft since 1999, and I will make my pick of who the Browns should have selected instead of who they did pick.

1999 Draft

Browns picked: Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

My pick: Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb (who went No. 2 to the Eagles).

Who really knows if McNabb would have done any better than Couch with such a terrible offensive line in front of him, but McNabb's athletic ability would have helped in creating something out of nothing with his legs—a luxury Couch really did not have.

2000 Draft

Browns picked: Penn State defensive end Courtney Browns with the No. 1 overall pick.

My pick: Alabama offensive tackle Chris Samuels (who went No. 3 to the Redskins).

With McNabb already in place as the Browns' franchise quarterback and behind a horrible offensive line, I would have picked Samuels who later became a six-time Pro Bowler to protect McNabb.

2001 Draft

Browns picked: Florida defensive lineman Gerrard Warren with the No. 3 overall pick.

My pick: TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson (who went No. 5 to the Chargers).

I am still amazed that the Browns passed on Tomlinson who would later become the NFL MVP. But hey, you can't predict that when choosing rookies.

2002 Draft

Browns picked: Boston College running back William Green with the No. 16 overall pick.

My pick: Miami safety Ed Reed (who went No. 24 to the Ravens).

This is a no-brainer and I still don't understand why then Browns coach Butch Davis, who formerly coached Reed at Miami, didn't pick more of his guys.

2003 Draft

Browns picked: Notre Dame center Jeff Faine with the No. 21 overall pick.

My pick: Iowa tight end Dallas Clark (who went No. 24 to the Colts).

Clark is currently one of the premier tight ends in the NFL and he would have been a great weapon for McNabb to throw to as an outlet receiver and a mismatch against linebackers.

2004 Draft

Browns picked: Miami tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. with the No. 6 overall pick.

My pick: Wisconsin wide receiver Lee Evans (who went No. 13 to the Bills).

They may seem like a bit of a reach, but not when you look at the low quality of athletes that were in this first round. Evan would have been a much better choice over Roy Williams and Reggie Williams, both of whom were picked in between the Browns and Bills picks. Also, Winslow is not needed since the Browns picked Clark the year prior.

2005 Draft

Browns picked: Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards with the No. 3 overall pick.

My pick: Troy linebacker DeMarcus Ware (who went No. 11 to the Cowboys).

New GM Phil Savage's first draft and instead of helping the defense which was changing to a 3-4 scheme, he went with a receiver instead of a pass rushing linebacker, which is key in a 3-4. Edwards had some concerns about dropped passes in college and obviously those concerns were valid.

2006 Draft

Browns picked: Florida State linebacker Kamerion Wimbley with the No. 13 overall pick.

My pick: Oregon defensive lineman Haloti Ngata (who went No. 12 to the Ravens).

You may look at this and think I messed up these two draft numbers, but I did not. In this draft, Savage traded with the Ravens so they could move up one spot to pick Ngata, when he should have realized that Ngata was perfect for the Browns' defensive line instead.

2007 Draft

Browns picked: Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas with the No. 3 overall pick.

My pick: No change.

This is a no-brainer. Three years in the league, three Pro Bowls. I would like to add that I would not have done the trade for Brady Quinn which cost the Browns a 2008 first round pick.

2008 Draft

Browns picked: They did not have a first round pick due to the Quinn trade, which would have been the No. 22 overall pick that the Cowboys used to pick Arkansas running back Felix Jones with.

My pick: East Carolina running back Chris Johnson (went No. 24 to the Titans).

Even though the Browns already have Tomlinson running the ball, he is not getting any younger and Johnson brings a new explosive dynamic to the offense which keeps Tomlinson fresh and healthier.

2009 Draft

Browns picked: California center Alex Mack with the No. 21 overall pick.

My pick: USC linebacker Clay Matthews (who went No. 26 to the Packers).

This is a hard swap, since Mack will be a solid center for the Browns for many years, but passing on a chance to get an impact linebacker is a tough call in my opinion. All Browns-Matthews family connection aside, a 3-4 defense can never have enough linebackers in my opinion.

In closing, this is obviously a bit of fantasy since the Browns may have finished with different records at the end of each season, with the addition of some of these players, but it's draft week and it's time to have some fun with past drafts and I hope you enjoyed it.