3 Greatest Wide Receivers in Browns History

The Cleveland Browns have not been seen in a positive light in recent years, but their history spans back to 1944. The franchise was actually quite successful in the 40's and 50's, winning seven championships during the two decades, and adding one more in 1964.

Most of the iconic Browns players come from those eras, and wide receiver is no exception. Apart from tight end Ozzie Newsome, who leads the franchise in receiving yards, here are the top three Cleveland receivers of all time.

3. Gary Collins (1962-71)

On the back end of that successful time period, Gary Collins was a major red zone threat. He had 70 receiving touchdowns, which is the franchise record, and he also sits fifth in receiving yards. Collins was an NFL Champion and two-time Pro Bowler. More importantly, he was a three-time All-Pro and a member of the 1960's NFL All-Decade Team. The touchdowns give him the slight edge over 40's receiver Mac Speedie for this spot.

2. Paul Warfield (1964-69, 76-77)

It didn't all come with the Browns, but Paul Warfield had a Hall of Fame NFL career. Part of his achievements, including his second and third championships, came with the Miami Dolphins. Still, Warfield had over 5,000 yards receiving and 52 touchdowns with Cleveland. He was a part of the title team in '64, and had three First-Team All-Pro seasons with the Browns. A member of the Browns Ring of Honor and the NFL 100th Anniversary Team, Warfield is still considered a legend in Cleveland despite his split career.

1. Dante Lavelli (1946-56)

Trailing only Ozzie Newsome, as mentioned above, Dante Lavelli is the wide receiver with the most all-time receiving yards in Browns history. An old school Cleveland player from the dominant era, Lavelli totaled 6,488 yards through the air in a time that didn't see nearly as much passing action. His 62 touchdowns is nothing to scoff at either. A career Browns player, Lavelli was part of three championship teams, three Pro Bowls and the 1940's All-Decade Team. He was a First-Team All-Pro and a veteran of World War II. Now Lavelli is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. 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.