When the Cleveland Browns make their selection with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, there are decent odds the player they draft emerges as a bona fide star.
Three of the last eight players selected with the No. 10 pick have emerged as All-Pros, impact talents on teams that made a Super Bowl appearance. Most notable is reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, who the Chiefs selected No. 10 overall in 2017.
Mahomes is joined by RB Todd Gurley (Rams, 2015) and CB Stephon Gilmore (Bills, 2012) as major success stories from the 10 spot. Gurley led the NFL in rushing TDs twice and has finished in the top 3 in rushing yards three times after racing to Offensive Rookie of the Year. Gilmore is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and has emerged as the best CB in the NFL since moving from the Bills to the Patriots three seasons ago.
Four other No. 10 picks have been instantly productive starters from the last 10 years. Steelers LB Devin Bush, the 10th pick a year ago, racked up over 100 tackles and recovered four fumbles as an impact rookie in Pittsburgh. Cornerback Eli Apple has found a home as a good starter in New Orleans after being a bad fit with the Giants team that drafted him in 2016. Tight end Eric Ebron has his foibles but has also consistently been a top-10 producer at his position since the Lions tabbed him in 2014. Tyson Alualu has made a nice career as a solid starter for the Jaguars, the team that drafted the Cal DT in 2010, and the Steelers since signing in Pittsburgh as a free agent four years ago.
As for the others…
Josh Rosen has failed to seize upon opportunity in both Arizona, which took him No. 10 overall in 2018, and Miami after being traded by the Cardinals. He looks like a bust after two years, but he’ll get another shot.
Chance Warmack struggled with injuries and the speed of the NFL as a guard taken way too high in 2013. Blaine Gabbert flopped as a high-profile starting QB in Jacksonville as the 10th pick in 2011 but continues to hang around as a veteran backup.
In short, seven of the last 10 players taken at No. 10 overall have become at least good NFL players. Three have become All-Pros, and last year’s No. 10 appears poised to make it four. Only three have been flops.