They haven't had much success thus far in the 21st century, but the Cleveland Browns have been one of the NFL's most storied franchises since their inception in 1946.

They have boasted some true icons of the game over the past 74 years, so here are the five biggest legends in Browns history.

5. Otto Graham, quarterback

He may not get the respect he deserves from the national NFL fanbase, but true Cleveland fans appreciate Graham for the legend that he was.

With a strong argument for the title of the greatest QB of all time, Graham played 10 seasons in Cleveland, never missed a game, played for the championship each year, and won seven titles.

To this day, he holds the NFL record in career yards per attempt (8.63) and winning percentage (81%). There will almost certainly never be a dynasty on par with Graham's Browns, as not even Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's New England Patriots can compare.

4. Joe Thomas, left tackle

From 2007 to 2017, Browns fans rarely knew who would be starting the next game at quarterback, but they never had to worry about who was protecting his blindside.

Thomas was drafted third overall, and immediately endeared himself to the city of Cleveland as instead of attending the draft in New York, Thomas was on a fishing trip with his dad when he got the call from the Browns.

Thomas played an incredible 10,363 consecutive snaps throughout his career, a mark that will almost certainly never be matched. He made 10 trips to the Pro Bowl and earned six All-Pro nods, all while never making the playoffs.

He is now a successful media personality, co-hosting the ThomaHawk Show podcast with former teammate Andrew Hawkins, and appears regularly on NFL Network. He'll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2023.

3. Bernie Kosar, quarterback

Kosar spent eight-and-a-half seasons as Cleveland's starter, and his legend is aided by the fact that he was really the Browns' last good signal-caller before Baker Mayfield was drafted in 2018.

Kosar was a fine player, leading the team to four playoff appearances, but he secured his Cleveland fame before he ever took a snap from the Browns. Kosar grew up a Browns fan in Boardman, Ohio, which is about an hour southeast of Cleveland.

After starring for Miami, Kosar announced he was forgoing his two remaining years of college eligibility, and that he wanted to play for his hometown Browns, although he hadn't officially declared for the 1985 NFL Draft at that point. The Minnesota Vikings wanted Kosar, and traded up to the second overall pick in order to select him after the Bills had signed Bruce Smith before the draft even began.

After that, Cleveland sent a large package to the Bills for their first-rounder in 1986. This meant that the Browns now held the first overall pick in the 1985 supplemental draft, if they opted to use it. Needless to say, the Vikings were furious, and after a long ordeal that involved hearings and threats to sue from multiple parties, Kosar entered the 1985 supplemental draft, and went home to the Browns.

His career in Cleveland did not end well, as then-head coach Bill Belichick cut Kosar mid-season, citing his “diminishing skills”, but Kosar is still beloved in town to this day, and is involved with the local sports media.

2. Jim Brown, running back

Hands-down the greatest running back of all time, there is a convincing argument to be made that Jim Brown is the greatest player to ever step foot onto a field.

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Perhaps no other player in NFL history has matched Brown's sustained dominance. And yet, after nine excellent seasons, Brown suddenly retired to pursue an acting career, one that ended up being marginally successful.

Considering he still ranks 11th in rushing yards and sixth in rushing touchdowns, it's crazy to think about what he could have accomplished had he played for five or six more years.

1. Paul Brown, founder, head coach, and namesake

There may not be a man who has had a greater impact on the game of football than Paul Brown.

His accomplishments are too many to name here, but just a few include founding the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, winning seven championships as a coach, used film of opponents to gameplan, created the practice squad, the draw play, and the facemask, and broke the NFL color barrier by signing African-American players.

In 1945, then-Browns owner Mickey McBride ran a fan vote to choose what his new football team would be called, and the name “Browns”, after the head coach, won out.

McBride apparently disliked the name and attempted to brand his squad as the Cleveland Panthers before discovering that a local businessman owned the rights to that name, and the Cleveland Browns were born.