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The Cleveland Browns have seen 25 players sport uniform number 24 over the years, many of whom are rather unforgettable.
With all due respect, even the most diehard fans would be hard-pressed to remember Pete Athas, Autry Beamon or Vagas Ferguson suiting up for the Browns.
Related: The best player to wear No. 23 in Browns history
But of all the players who have worn that number, there is one who stands out as the best in franchise history. And at the risk of being accused of recency bias, that player is running back Nick Chubb.
Nick Chubb has generated +1,312 rushing yards over expected since 2018, the most by a running back over the last five seasons.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) June 20, 2023
Chubb is the only running back to gain over 250 RYOE in each of the last four seasons, including an RB-leading +284 RYOE in 2022.@NickChubb | #Browns pic.twitter.com/2E5SwRSe7t
In an era of the NFL where “running backs don’t matter” Chubb has been a dominant part of Cleveland’s offense for the past four seasons. (It would be five seasons if Chubb had not been saddled with head coach Hue Jackson his rookie season.)
Consider that Chubb has:
- Three of the top 11 rushing seasons in franchise history, topped by his 2022 season when he rushed for 1,525 yards, a figure only topped by Jim Brown’s three best seasons.
- Two of the top 10 seasons in rushing touchdowns with 12 in both 2020 and 2022. The only other players in the top 10 are Brown and fellow Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly.
Chubb is also:
- Fourth in rushing yards with 6,341, just 933 yards behind Kelly for second place.
- Third in rushing touchdowns with 48.
Finally, Chubb has averaged 5.2 yards per carry, which is the same as Brown and just 0.5 yards per carry behind the career average of Marion Motley, yet another Hall of Fame running back.
Chubb is currently the best running back in the NFL and a clear pick as the best player in franchise history to wear No. 24.
If not Chubb, then who?
Having said all that about Chubb, there is another player who earned serious consideration for the top honor in defensive back Warren Lahr, who played for the Browns from 1949 to 1959.
Lahr was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 32nd round of the 1947 NFL Draft, but he injured his knee and the Steelers, who were coming off their first playoff appearance in franchise history, could not be bothered to wait on a 32nd round pick.
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The Steelers shortsightedness was the Browns gain as a fully healed Lahr took to the field in 1949 and would go on to play in 124 games and be a part of four league champions during an 11-year career.
Lahr posted six seasons with at least five interceptions and retired after the 1959 season as the franchise leader in interceptions with 44. He was eventually surpassed by safety Thom Darden, who retired after the 1981 season with 45 career interceptions, but Lahr still resides at No. 2 even though it has been 64 years since he played his last game.
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The best of the rest
Cornerback Anthony Blaylock, who was a member of two playoff teams (1988 and 1989) during his three-and-a-half seasons with the Browns, safety Ray Ellis, part of the defensive secondary group that helped the Browns reach consecutive AFC Championship Games in 1986 and 1987, defensive back Cory Fuller, a member of the expansion Browns who made 59 starts for the team from 1999 to 2002, cornerback Eric Wright, who had nine interceptions in his four seasons in Cleveland (2007 to 2010) and safety Ernie Kellerman, who picked up a Pro Bowl selection in 1968 and had 17 interceptions while playing for the Browns from 1966 to 1971.
Poll
Who is the best player to wear No. 24 in Browns history?
This poll is closed
-
0%
Pete Athas
(0 votes) -
0%
Johnson Bademosi
(3 votes) -
0%
Gary Baxter
(1 vote) -
0%
Autry Beamon
(0 votes) -
0%
Greg Best
(0 votes) -
0%
Anthony Blaylock
(1 vote) -
0%
Donny Brady
(0 votes) -
0%
Sheldon Brown
(0 votes) -
0%
Terry Brown
(0 votes) -
0%
Ibraheim Campbell
(6 votes) -
88%
Nick Chubb
(737 votes) -
0%
Ray Ellis
(3 votes) -
0%
Vagas Ferguson
(0 votes) -
0%
Bobby Franklin
(5 votes) -
0%
Corey Fuller
(1 vote) -
0%
Robert Griffith
(1 vote) -
1%
Ernie Kellerman
(15 votes) -
5%
Warren Lahr
(47 votes) -
0%
Mel Maceau
(0 votes) -
0%
Bobby Majors
(0 votes) -
0%
Cleo Montgomery
(0 votes) -
0%
Randy Rich
(1 vote) -
0%
Terry Taylor
(1 vote) -
0%
Tommy Thompson
(1 vote) -
1%
Eric Wright
(11 votes)
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