Fansided

Joe Haden’s jersey is leading the pack

By Matt Verderame

Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of footballs with a salute to service logo prior to the game between the St. Louis Rams and the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of footballs with a salute to service logo prior to the game between the St. Louis Rams and the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns have not been good for a very long time. In fact, the Browns have only made the playoffs once since being reintroduced to the National Football League in 1999, and lost in the Wild Card round.

Yet, the fans are still supporting them with plenty of passion. Some of that passion shows up in jersey sales, where cornerback Joe Haden is thriving. Haden was drafted in 2010 with the seventh-overall pick out of the University of Florida, and currently, Haden’s jersey is the top-seller of any player drafted in that class, per Dick’s Sporting Goods. Haden is also the overall leader for NFL jersey sales this season.

If this holds up, it would be the first time that a cornerback’s jersey would be the most popular from any given draft class in NFL history. The brain immediately jumps to Deion Sanders, who was drafted in the 1989 NFL Draft. However, Neon Deion had the misfortune of going in the same class as Troy Aikman, Derrick Thomas and a shifty running back, Barry Sanders.

Here’s a tidy graphic to show exactly how much Haden’s star has risen, along with some other notables from the 2010 NFL Draft.

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Some of the reason for Haden’s popularity has to be the new design of Cleveland’s jerseys. For decades, there has been almost no change to the Browns’ look, but this year sees a huge shift under owner Jimmy Haslam. The team has gone to a darker shade of brown but more importantly, has the word CLEVELAND across the chest.

This post has been sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

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