​Two of Cleveland’s most important questions for the near and long-term future hinge on how their two first-round picks perform in their rookie seasons. Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion are under considerable pressure to prove they can be long-term contributors in this league. It will be a real challenge for both, given that the Browns’ offense is still young across the board and carries a significant quarterback uncertainty. Despite that, Cleveland’s track record with first-round selections over the past two decades has been rocky.
We’re taking a look at the last ten first-round picks to see which ones were worth the investment and which ones ended up as busts. Spoiler alert: the balance leans heavily toward the latter. In the 2015 draft, the Browns chose on the defensive line, landing what turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of that round. Shelton showed promise but never fully realized it. Taking a defensive lineman in the first round is always a high-stakes move; if it doesn’t yield a home run, it often ends in failure.
The plan to fortify the trenches targeted both the defensive line and the offensive line, but the results didn’t come together. Erving lasted only two seasons in Cleveland before being traded to Kansas City in 2017. This was a pick I personally felt excited about at the time, and that moment turned out to be the high point of Corey Coleman’s tenure. He never materialized into a productive NFL player and became one of the more notable busts from the 2016 draft.
There was a moment when Myles Garrett, after five years post-retirement, would walk through the Canton doors, and the hope remains that his career could circle back to Cleveland before it ends. Peppers injected attitude and swagger into the Browns’ secondary, but in the end he was an average player for Cleveland, in large part because of how he was utilized.
Many Browns fans hoped Njoku would end his career in Cleveland, but that didn’t come to pass. Nine seasons of solid play—good to very good—came with the caveat of subpar quarterback play that hampered his prime and limited his ceiling. It always seemed close with Baker Mayfield; he had the right mindset to lift the franchise, yet turnovers, immaturity, and inconsistent coaching prevented him from realizing a potentially extraordinary path.
Ward remains a focal point for SEO, but the essential point is this: the Browns have had a long stretch of first-round selections that didn’t reach their full potential. As we evaluate the two promising rookies—Fano and Concepcion—the objective is to determine whether they can be the catalysts Cleveland needs to alter this legacy and help shape a brighter, more stable future for the team.