Grading Every NFL Team's 2017 Draft Haul | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Sebastian Wright
Published Mar 24, 2026
· Round 1, Pick No. 1: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
· Round 1, Pick No. 25: Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
· Round 1, Pick No. 29: David Njoku, TE, Miami
· Round 2, Pick No. 52: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
· Round 3, Pick No. 65: Larry Ogunjobi, DT, Charlotte
· Round 4, Pick No. 126: Howard Wilson, CB, Houston
· Round 5, Pick No. 160: Roderick Johnson, OT, Florida State
· Round 6, Pick No. 185: Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
· Round 7, Pick No. 224: Zane Gonzalez, PK, Arizona State
· Round 7, Pick No. 252: Matthew Dayes, RB, NC State
The Cleveland Browns nailed the most important pick in the 2017 draft, taking Myles Garrett with the No. 1 overall selection.
The Browns couldn't possibly overthink that choice, but the top pick in the draft doesn't necessarily turn into a star player. Before Garrett, Jared Goff, Jameis Winston, Jadeveon Clowney and Eric Fisher headlined their draft classes, but they haven't developed into elite playmakers.
Garrett is one of the league's top defensive ends with 203 tackles, 59 for loss, 58.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and nine pass breakups through five seasons. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro.
The Browns didn't hit big with their other first-round picks. They traded Jabrill Peppers after his second year, and David Njoku hasn't been able to eclipse or match his receiving numbers from 2018 (56 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns). Nonetheless, he'll have a chance to reach career highs with the team after signing a four-year, $54.8 million extension in May.
Larry Ogunjobi had a productive four-year run in Cleveland, but he registered his best pro campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals, registering career highs in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (seven) last year.
Cleveland tried to solve its quarterback issue with DeShone Kizer in the second round, but that attempt failed miserably. As a rookie, he threw for 2,894 yards, 11 touchdowns and 22 interceptions with a 53.6 percent completion rate. In March 2018, the Browns traded him to the Green Bay Packers, and he hasn't started in a game since his one-year stint in Cleveland.
Though the Browns came into the draft armed with three first-round selections, they didn't find anything special beyond Garrett.