The Cardinals hold the No. 1 overall pick for April's NFL draft for the first time since 1958. As the day for the Cards to make their selection draws closer, azcardinals.com will take a look at the last 30 No. 1 overall selections and each player's impact on the team and league.
NAME/YEAR: Courtney Brown/2000
TEAM: Cleveland Browns
THE SITUATION: Brown had 33 sacks in his college career and put up impressive athletic testing numbers at Penn State's Pro Day, so he seemed to be a sensible choice atop the draft. Cleveland didn't have anyone register more than seven sacks the year prior so he also fit a need.
THE CAREER: The high hopes for Brown never materialized. He had a promising rookie season with 69 tackles, four sacks and 16 tackles for loss, but missed 19 games the next three seasons and never accumulated more than six sacks in a year. Brown was out of the NFL after six seasons and did not make a Pro Bowl.
THE OTHER OPTIONS IN TOP FIVE: Brown's Penn State teammate, LaVar Arrington, went No. 2 overall to the Redskins and had a better career, making the Pro Bowl three times. Washington also had the No. 3 pick and chose tackle Chris Samuels, who was a six-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Peter Warrick did not live up to expectations as the No. 4 overall pick to the Bengals, while the Ravens landed Pro Bowl running back Jamal Lewis at No. 5.
