Pick #3...

Pick #3: Cleveland Browns pick WR Braylon Edwards of Michigan
Quarterbacks on the 2004 season roster: Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Kelly Holcomb

Ever since the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, they have been a squad with very little identity or success to claim to. With only winning season since '99 (a 9-7 season in 2002) there was little to cheer for in the Dawg Pound, and in 2004 the team ended their season with a 4-12 record (going 5-11 the season before).

With many holes to fill on their roster, the Browns selected Michigan's star wide receiver Braylon Edwards with the 3rd overall pick. A reception and touchdown-producing machine while at college, Edwards looked like the downfield threat that the team desperately needed (in 2004, only one receiver surpassed 800 yards and the most touchdowns scored by a receiver was 5).

A rookie season holdout and injuries stunted Edwards's early growth in his rookie season, but he started to develop in 2006 by catching 61 passes for 884 yards.

In 2007 Edwards had a phenomenal season, racking up over 1,200 receiving yards and scoring 16 touchdowns. It was also a successful season for the Browns, who finished 10-6 and 2nd in the AFC North, just missing the playoffs. Edwards was also voted into the Pro Bowl that season, and it looked as though the Browns had a star on their hands.

The following season didn’t go according to plans, however, and the Browns tumbled back into mediocrity. Edwards also had a less than stellar year, catching only 3 touchdowns and leading the league in dropped passes.

Things only got worse for Edwards in Cleveland. In the first four games of the 2009 season Edwards had only caught 10 passes. With Edwards not producing to the team’s needs, along with a well-publicized scuffle with the entourage of (then) Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, the Browns were forced to trade him to the New York Jets.

Edwards's tenure with the Browns is the perfect example of what Cleveland fans have been dealing with since their return to the league: A player with great potential and promise shows signs of hope but ends up disappointing in the end.