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3 Greatest Defensive Players in Browns History

By Max Staley

Clay Matthews is one of the best Cleveland Browns' defenders ever.
Clay Matthews is one of the best Cleveland Browns' defenders ever. / Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images
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The Cleveland Browns haven't historically enjoyed as much success as some of their compatriots in the AFC North. But that doesn't mean the team hasn't fielded some great players in the past.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the three best defensive players in Browns' history.

3. Hanford Dixon (1981-89)

Because he was a cornerback, Dixon won't have as much of a box score impact as some of the other names on this list. But don't let that color your opinion of him. Dixon was a two-time first-team All-Pro with the Browns, making it in back-to-back seasons ('86-'87) and he made three Pro Bowls with the team as well.

2. Len Ford (1950-57)

Len Ford played in an era where defensive stats weren't widely tracked. But he was such a dominant pass-rusher that Cleveland realigned its approach, essentially creating the 4-3 defense we know today. He was selected to an All-Pro team on seven occasions and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.

1. Clay Matthews (1978-93)

By virtue of playing for the team for 16 seasons, Clay Matthews holds quite a few records in Cleveland. He has the most solo tackles (1,430), sacks (62.0) and forced fumbles (24) in franchise history. He played 232 games for the team, the second-most in team history behind Lou Groza, and will forever remain a Cleveland legend.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.