The Cleveland Browns have been drafting players since 1950. Here’s a look at the best draft picks by position for the Browns, with the qualifier that some of their greatest players -- Otto Graham, Len Ford -- were not brought to the team via the draft.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Bernie Kosar, first round supplemental draft, 1985, Miami. The Browns and Kosar both used the supplemental draft to ensure Kosar would play where he wanted, near his home in Cleveland. It led to two AFC Championship Game appearances and the last great Browns era. Yes, it was tough not to pick Brian Sipe in the 13th round in 1972.

Selected No. 6 overall by the Browns in 1957, Jim Brown went on to become one of the all-time greats. AP Photo

Running back: Jim Brown, first round, 1957, Syracuse. Brown became arguably the greatest player in NFL history, which makes this a gimme selection.

Wide receiver: Gary Collins, first round, 1962, Maryland. Collins deserves Hall of Fame consideration for his production as a receiver and as a punter. He remains one of the Browns' most underrated players. Yes, Paul Warfield became a Hall of Famer, but many of his prime years were in Miami with the Dolphins.

Tight end: Ozzie Newsome, first round, 1978, Alabama. Sam Rutigliano saw a talented receiver at Alabama who could become a standout NFL tight end in his offense. The coach was right. Newsome went on to a Hall of Fame career.

Tackle: Joe Thomas, first round, 2007, Wisconsin. The epitome of a professional, Thomas gives his best when things are their worst. He has been the model of consistent excellence in times of miserable football. It won't take long for him to be enshrined in Canton when he retires.

Guard: Gene Hickerson, seventh round, 1957, Mississippi. With respect to Jerry Kramer, Hickerson and Paul Brown were the originators of the power sweep. There hasn't been a pulling guard like Hickerson since he retired, something Jim Brown will readily admit.

Center: Mike Baab, fifth round 1982, Texas. Baab played well for the Browns for six seasons before being traded to New England. He returned to finish his career with the Browns in 1990-91. Alex Mack also gets consideration here, but Baab was a productive starter as a fifth-round pick.

DEFENSE

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End: Jack Gregory, ninth round, 1966, Delta State. Gregory was a dependable and productive player for the Browns. Though he was traded to the Giants in 1972, he returned to finish his career in Cleveland. The fact that Gregory is the best defensive end drafted says something about the impact players the Browns have taken at the position. An interesting side note about this position: Willie Davis was a 15th-round draftee in 1956 who went on to make the Hall of Fame for the Green Bay Packers. Paul Brown traded both Davis and Hall of Famer DT Henry Jordan to Green Bay because he had a surplus of players at those positions.

Tackle: Jerry Sherk, second round, 1970, Oklahoma State. Sherk was on his way to revolutionizing the tackle spot before his career was cut short by a staph infection. Sherk played with quickness and strength and was a dominating player in his prime. He edges Michael Dean Perry and Walter Johnson.

Linebacker: Clay Matthews, first round, 1978, USC. Matthews was the epitome of dependability and durability. He supplanted Gerald Irons his rookie season and started 216 games for the Browns. He could drop into coverage and rush the passer; Matthews remains the team's all-time sack leader with 76½. He has twice been a Hall of Fame semifinalist.

Cornerback: Hanford Dixon, first round, 1981, Southern Mississippi. Dixon and Frank Minefield because the first pair of pure man-to-man, bump-and-run corners in Browns history. Their ability transformed the Browns' defense and led to the Dawgs nickname and birth of the Dawg Pound. He and Bernie Kosar helped create the Browns image in the 1980s.

Safety: Thom Darden, first round, 1972, Michigan. Eric Turner and Don Rogers may have been better pure players, but Darden had a longer-term impact. He started nine seasons for the Browns -- six after coming back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 1975 season. Darden led the league in interceptions in 1978 and was an integral part of the Kardiac Kids years. He remains the Browns' all-time leader with 45 interceptions.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Don Cockroft, third round, 1967, Adams State. Lou Groza and Phil Dawson have been the best kickers in Browns history, but neither were drafted. Cockcroft was a straight-on kicker who made 66 percent of his field goals, but he wishes he could have tried one more -- against Oakland in the game where Sam Rutigliano instead to chose to throw and Brian Sipe was intercepted on Red Right 88.

Punter: Gary Collins. To even imagine that full-time and productive receiver would also punt is unthinkable in this era. But Collins was the Browns' punter for the first six years of his career, before Cockroft was drafted. He averaged at least 40 yards per punt for four seasons, led the league with 46.7 in 1965 and finished with a 41-yard average.