Courtney Brown was unblockable off the edge in his final season at Penn State and he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. Brown was taken No. 1 overall, one spot ahead of teammate LaVar Arrington, who went No. 2 to Washington.
Brown’s dominance on the defensive line did not translate to the league. In five seasons with Cleveland, Brown recorded just 17 sacks and was nagged by injuries. His best year was 2003 when he posted a six-sack season.
In 2005, Brown signed with Denver where he played for one season and recorded two sacks as a depth defensive lineman. That was the final year of his career.