The Browns have developed many legends over their 71-year history, but no unit has seen greater talent than the offensive line. The top 10 Cleveland offensive linemen includes several Hall of Famers as well as a couple more who could very well be inducted in the future.
Top 10 Offensive Lineman in Browns History
Quarterbacks and running backs for the Browns have been well protected over the years. Throughout the 71-year history of the franchise, its offensive stars have been found all over the field. One unit, however, definitely stands out more than the rest—and that's the offensive line.
Right from the team's inception in 1946, a tremendous number of superstar offensive linemen were in place to help them win four straight championships in the short-lived All-America Football Conference. After transitioning to the NFL in 1950, Cleveland continued to dominate, thanks in large part to superior play from its offensive line.
While the team success of the 1940s through the '60s hasn't been repeated, the Browns have continued to find and develop stars along the offensive line. Six players who played on the offensive line have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and at least one more will likely soon join them.
Selection Criteria
- Legacy Honors (Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor, retired number, etc.)
- Single-Season Honors (All-Pro, Pro Bowl, etc.)
- On-Field Success (playoff appearances, success of other offensive players, records, etc.)
- Longevity (years with the Browns, percentage of career with the Browns, contributions to the Browns, etc.)
Only games played with the Browns are factored into this list, so while Shaun O'Hara was a great center for a few seasons and would be a candidate for a list about the Giants, his limited time in Cleveland means he won't make the cut here.
10. Joe DeLamielleure
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1980–84
- All-Pro: 1980
- Pro Bowl: 1980
- Awards: Hall of Fame (2003), Browns Ring of Honor
When Joe DeLamielleure came to Cleveland, he was already a proven commodity. He built Hall of Fame credentials as a member of the Bills from 1973 to '79 when he blocked for legendary running back O.J. Simpson. When the Browns acquired him, he found himself in front of more playoff-caliber talent, and he helped push Cleveland to two postseason appearances in five years while never missing a game.
In 1980 DeLamielleure became the first offensive lineman in NFL history to block for a 2,000-yard rusher (Simpson) and a 4,000-yard passer (Browns quarterback Brian Sipe). He remains the only one to have blocked for such a duo with each player winning the MVP award the same season. Cleveland's offense ranked fifth in offensive yards in 1980, and it moved up to fourth the following season. The Browns, however, have failed to finish in the top five of the league since.
Notable Seasons Behind DeLamielleure
- 1980: Quarterback Brian Sipe passes for 4,132 yards
- 1980: Fullback Mike Pruitt rushes for 1,034 yards
- 1981: Pruitt rushes for 1,103 yards
- 1983: Pruitt rushes for 1,184 yards
9. Doug Dieken
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1971–84
- Pro Bowl: 1980
Like so many great offensive linemen, Doug Dieken was an iron man at his position. A ferocious left tackle, he never missed a game in 14 seasons with Cleveland. He had a streak of 198 straight starts (including four playoff games) that began with the 10th game of his rookie season in 1971 and continued to the end of the '84 season. Standing at 6'5" and weighing in around 260 pounds, Dieken was a bit undersized, but he used athleticism and leverage to hold back defenders and open holes for running backs.
Dieken helped block for seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and he protected the blind side of quarterback Brian Sipe during his MVP season of 1980. Dieken is also one of the rare offensive lineman to also have scored a touchdown. Against the Oilers in 1983, he was on the receiving end of a touchdown pass on a fake field goal attempt, hauling in a throw from holder Paul McDonald from 14 yards out. Following his retirement in 1984, Dieken joined Cleveland's radio broadcast team, and he still maintains that role today.
Notable Seasons Behind Dieken
- 1975: Running back Greg Pruitt rushes 1,067 yards
- 1976: G. Pruitt rushes for 1,000 yards
- 1977: G. Pruitt rushes for 1,083 yards
- 1979: Fullback Mike Pruitt rushes for 1,294 yards
- 1980: Quarterback Brian Sipe passes for 4,132 yards
- 1980: M. Pruitt rushes for 1,034 yards
- 1981: M. Pruitt rushes for 1,103 yards
- 1983: M. Pruitt rushes for 1,184 yards
8. Cody Risien
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1979–89
- All-Pro: 1983
- Pro Bowl: 1986–87
Cody Risien cemented his place as an all-time franchise great by helping the Browns to seven playoff appearances in the 1980s. Standing at 6'7", Risien was a monster of a man—and at the time he was the tallest guard in the NFL. Even so, he was very quick and nimble, but he also had the power to push defensive linemen down the field as a superior straightaway run blocker. He ended up finding himself in front of a 1,000-yard rusher seven times.
As a rookie, there was no guarantee that Risien was even going to make the team. He was a seventh-round draft pick, but he showed an exceptional work ethic and started the final 10 games of his rookie season. His performance in that season was rewarded when he was named an NFL All-Rookie. In 1980 he was moved to right tackle and helped quarterback Brian Sipe win NFL MVP. In 1985 he opened running lanes for fullback Kevin Mack and running back Earnest Byner, allowing them to become the third duo in history to each rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. In the seven postseason appearances during Risien's career, the Browns advanced to the conference championship game three times.
Notable Seasons Behind Risien
- 1979: Fullback Mike Pruitt rushes for 1,294 yards
- 1980: Quarterback Brian Sipe passes for 4,132 yards
- 1980: Pruitt rushes for 1,034 yards
- 1981: Pruitt rushes for 1,103 yards
- 1983: Pruitt rushes for 1,184 yards
- 1985: Fullback Kevin Mack rushes for 1,104 yards
- 1985: Running back Earnest Byner rushes for 1,002 yards
7. Abe Gibron
- Position: Offensive Guard
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1950–56
- All-Pro: 1952–53, '55
- Pro Bowl: 1952–55
When Abe Gibron started his career with the Browns, he found himself on the sidelines more often than his skill set suggested he should. He was a messenger guard—a player in the days before two-way electronic communication who would bring the play calls into the huddle. After bringing in a call and running the play, he would retreat back to the bench, and he was only on the field every other play. Eventually, it became clear he was too good of a blocker to be away from the action so much, and he moved into a full-time role.
While with the Browns, Gibron never missed a regular-season game and he played for six NFL championships. He helped Cleveland win three titles, and the fleet-footed guard also opened running lanes for Hall of Fame fullback Marion Motley and star running back Dub Jones. Meanwhile, he was also strong in pass protection, helping Otto Graham become the greatest quarterback in the history of the franchise. He suffered an injury in the middle of the 1956 season and was released, eventually signing with the Eagles. He enjoyed a lengthy coaching career following his retirement as a player.
Notable Seasons Behind Gibron
- 1950: Fullback Marion Motley rushes for 810 yards
- 1952: Quarterback Otto Graham passes for 2,816 yards
- 1953: Graham passes for 2,722 yards
6. Jim Ray Smith
- Position: Offensive Guard
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1956–62
- All-Pro: 1958–62
- Pro Bowl: 1958–62
It's not often that one of the fastest players on a football team is an offensive lineman. When Jim Ray Smith played for the Browns, however, he wasn't finishing last in any foot races. As a quick and nimble guard, he was one of the primary blockers for Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. The two often worked in conjunction, and Smith's blocking helped Brown gain 7,459 yards during the six seasons they were teammates.
Smith was a converted defensive end, and in 1957 he added some weight to make the transition to offense. While he still maintained elite speed for his position, he didn't crack the starting lineup, being used as a messenger guard instead. Once he earned a permanent starting role, however, he became one of the league's best offensive linemen. He retired in 1961 but was lured back by the Browns for another season. Smith then tried to retire a second time—but was instead traded to the Cowboys so he could play closer to his hometown.
Notable Seasons Behind Smith
- 1958: Running back Jim Brown rushes for 1,527 yards
- 1959: Brown rushes for 1,329 yards
- 1960: Brown rushes for 1,257 yards
- 1961: Brown rushes for 1,408 yards
5. Frank Gatski
- Position: Center
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1946–56
- All-Pro: 1951, 1953–55
- Pro Bowl: 1956
- Awards: Hall of Fame (1985), Browns Ring of Honor
In every season that Frank Gatski was the center for the Browns and snapping the ball to quarterback Otto Graham, Cleveland appeared in a championship game. Gatski was front and center for the Browns for 11 seasons, and he helped the team advance to the league championship game every year from 1946 to '55. As an original iron man, Gatski never missed a game in his career and was rewarded with seven championships with Cleveland.
Gatski originally had to try out to make the Browns' roster in its inaugural season, but he made a great impression on coach Paul Brown. He played as a linebacker and a backup center during his first two seasons, intercepting three passes and scoring a touchdown. By his third season, he became the starting center—which was a role he wouldn't relinquish until he was traded to the Lions after the 1956 season. In 1957 Gatski's Lions defeated the Browns for the NFL title. Throughout his Browns career, Gatski helped the offense finish in the top three of the league in yardage six times and in scoring eight times.
Notable Seasons Behind Gatski
- 1947: Quarterback Otto Graham passes for 2,757 yards
- 1948: Graham passes for 2,713 yards
- 1948: Fullback Marion Motley rushes for 974 yards
- 1949: Graham passes for 2,785 yards
- 1950: Motley rushes for 810 yards
- 1952: Graham passes for 2,816 yards
- 1953: Graham passes for 2,722 yards
4. Mike McCormack
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- Seasons Played With the Browns: 1954–62
- All-Pro: 1954–62
- Pro Bowl: 1956–57, 1960–62
- Awards: Hall of Fame (1984), Browns Ring of Honor
Mike McCormack was an all-around threat from the right tackle position. He spent nine seasons with the Browns, and he was a vital blocker for the end sweep plays that running backs Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell used to establish themselves as Hall of Famers. McCormack was acquired from the Colts as part of a 15-player trade and began his tenure in Cleveland as a defensive lineman. The next season, he transitioned back to offense and became a standout. The Browns won NFL championships in both of those seasons.
In 1957 Cleveland drafted Brown, and McCormack's tremendous blocking helped Brown put up the eye-popping statistics that made him one of the greatest running backs in league history. Brown led the NFL in rushing in four of the six seasons he was behind McCormack, and the duo joined forces in the Pro Bowl four times. Following his retirement in 1962, McCormick enjoyed a long coaching career and helped build the Panthers franchise in the mid-1990s.
Notable Seasons Behind McCormack
- 1958: Running back Jim Brown rushes for 1,527 yards
- 1959: Brown rushes for 1,329 yards
- 1960: Brown rushes for 1,257 yards
- 1961: Brown rushes for 1,408 yards
3. Dick Schafrath
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- Seasons With the Browns: 1959–71
- All-Pro: 1963–65, '69
- Pro Bowl: 1963–69
Many believe Dick Schafrath should be in the Hall of Fame, and a consideration of his contributions to the Browns reveals a strong case. In nine of his 13 seasons, a Browns running back broke the 1,000-yard barrier, and he was genuinely excited any time one of his teammates scored a touchdown. He was just the second full-time left tackle in franchise history, and while he only won one championship in Cleveland, he left a lasting legacy—missing just three games during his tenure.
Schafrath didn't start as a rookie; instead, he backed up left tackle/placekicker Lou Groza, who would retire for the first time after the season. The young lineman gobbled up his starting opportunity in 1960 and held firm on the position until his own retirement in '71. Along the way, he paved lanes for Hall of Fame running backs Jim Brown and LeRoy Kelly, while also holding firm in pass protection. During Schafrath's career, the Brown-Kelly duo led the NFL in rushing eight times, and three different quarterbacks also combined to appear in six Pro Bowls.
Notable Seasons Behind Schafrath
- 1959: Running back Jim Brown rushes for 1,329 yards
- 1960: Brown rushes for 1,257 yards
- 1961: Brown rushes for 1,408 yards
- 1963: Brown rushes for 1,863 yards
- 1964: Brown rushes for 1,446 yards
- 1965: Brown rushes for 1,544 yards
- 1966: Running back LeRoy Kelly rushes for 1,141 yards
- 1966: Quarterback Frank Ryan passes for 2,974 yards
- 1967: Kelly rushes for 1,205 yards
- 1968: Kelly rushes for 1,238 yards
2. Gene Hickerson
- Position: Offensive Guard
- Seasons With the Browns: 1958–60, 1962–73
- All-Pro: 1964–70
- Pro Bowl: 1965–70
- Awards: Hall of Fame (2007), Browns Ring of Honor, NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
A handful of the best running backs in NFL history owe some of their success to Robert Gene Hickerson. A monster on the offensive line, Hickerson blocked in front of Browns legends Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly—a trio of Hall of Famers. Hickerson was a mainstay on Cleveland's offensive line for 15 years, though he did miss the entire 1961 season with a broken leg. Otherwise, he played in every game and won a championship in 1964—the only title he'd win in eight trips to the postseason.
Hickerson was heralded as a run blocker, but he was also no slouch in pass protection. He was a seventh-round draft selection and spent his first season as a messenger guard, but he moved into a starting role at right guard in 1959 and would soon become a standout. Nine times during his career a running back would gain at 1,000 yards in a season.
It took Hickerson 28 tries to get elected to the Hall of Fame, despite having the credentials of someone who should have been inducted in his first year of eligibility. He was ill at the time of his 2007 induction, but he was pushed across the stage in a wheelchair by Brown, Mitchell and Kelly.
Notable Seasons Behind Hickerson
- 1958: Running back Jim Brown rushes for 1,527 yards
- 1959: Brown rushes for 1,329 yards
- 1960: Brown rushes for 1,257 yards
- 1963: Brown rushes for 1,863 yards
- 1964: Brown rushes for 1,446 yards
- 1965: Brown rushes for 1,544 yards
- 1966: Running back LeRoy Kelly rushes for 1,141 yards
- 1966: Quarterback Frank Ryan passes for 2,974 yards
- 1967: Kelly rushes for 1,205 yards
- 1968: Kelly rushes for 1,238 yards
1. Joe Thomas
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- Years With the Browns: 2007–17
- All-Pro: 2008–16
- Pro Bowl: 2007–16
- Awards: Browns Ring of Honor, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
When the Browns selected Joe Thomas with the third pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, they hoped the bulky left tackle from the University of Wisconsin would anchor their offensive line for years to come. As it turned out, they found the greatest offensive lineman in team history. From the first snap of his NFL debut to the play that tore his triceps muscle 11 years later, Thomas was on the field with Cleveland's offense.
Following in a line of legendary Browns left tackles, Thomas played in 10,363 consecutive snaps over 167 straight starts. His snap count marked the NFL record, though the league has only tracked the statistic since 1999. Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his full seasons, and he broke the record among offensive lineman for the most consecutive Pro Bowl selections to start a career (eight). He ultimately played in a franchise-record 10 Pro Bowls, becoming one of just five players in history to make 10 straight appearances in the game to open a career. As an excellent pass blocker, he rarely allowed a defender around him to sack the quarterback, and he also did not often get flagged for holding penalties.
Thomas becomes eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame in 2023 and is expected to be voted in on the first ballot. He was a fan favorite in Cleveland after choosing to stay with the scuffling Browns for the duration of his career. The Browns went 48–128 during his tenure and only had one winning season, but no one ever blamed Thomas for the team's struggles.
Notable Seasons Behind Thomas
- 2007: Running back Jamal Lewis rushes for 1,304 yards
- 2007: Quarterback Derek Anderson passes for 3,787 yards
- 2008: Lewis rushes for 1,002 yards
- 2010: Running back Peyton Hillis rushes for 1,177 yards
Honorable Mentions
Because the Browns have had so many prominent players along the offensive line, several deserving blockers had to be left out of the top 10. Listed below are a handful of those who left an indelible mark on team history but didn't quite make the cut.
Lou Groza (1948–59)
Though he is known more for his abilities as a kicker, Lou Groza was Cleveland's left tackle for 11 seasons, and he helped propel a high-flying offense that won five championships. The Browns' offense was ranked in the top three of the league in scoring nine times during Groza's career, and it also led the NFL in yardage in 1952.
Tom DeLeone (1974–84)
One of the best centers in Browns history was Tom DeLeone. He made a pair of Pro Bowls (1979 and '80), and he snapped the ball to quarterback Brian Sipe, who was the NFL's MVP in 1980. He also blocked for both Greg Pruitt and Mike Pruitt, who each eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in a season during DeLeone's career.
Joel Bitonio (2014–present)
Joel Bitonio has dealt with some injuries throughout his career with the Browns, but when he's healthy he's proven to be among the better offensive linemen in the NFL. As a left guard, he had the opportunity to play alongside future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas for the first few seasons of his career, and he's continued on to become the anchor for the Browns' offensive line. He's been selected as an All-Pro twice in his career and has also made two Pro Bowls.
John Wooten (1959–67)
As a consistent offensive lineman who blocked for Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, John Wooten helped Brown lead the league in rushing six times in seven seasons. Wooten played both right and left guard during his career. He was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro in 1966. He was part of Cleveland's 1964 NFL championship team, and he never missed a game during nine seasons.
Below is a year-by-year look at the primary offensive linemen who played for the Browns. The franchise is well known for producing lasting legends along the offensive line.