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Justin Gilbert suspended by NFL for one year

By John Buhler

Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert (21) runs back a kickoff during the first half against the Washington Redskins in a preseason NFL football game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert (21) runs back a kickoff during the first half against the Washington Redskins in a preseason NFL football game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former Cleveland Browns first-round pick cornerback Justin Gilbert has been suspended by the NFL for one season for violating the substance abuse policy.

The absolutely horrendous first-round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns takes another turn for the worse. Cleveland’s former No. 8 overall pick in cornerback Justin Gilbert has been suspended by the NFL for one year after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report the news. While Cleveland did move on from Gilbert after the 2015 NFL season, he will be forever associated with the Browns’ other first-round bust from that draft in quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Cleveland had two first-round picks in 2014 and completely blew both of them. They had their opportunities to draft franchise cornerstones like Khalil Mack, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald, Zack Martin, Jason Verrett and Derek Carr. Instead, they took two players that played a combined four seasons in Cleveland in the form of Gilbert and Manziel.

Overall, Gilbert would only play the 2014 and 2015 NFL seasons with the Browns. He was traded to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 for a 2018 sixth-round pick shortly before the start of the regular season. Gilbert played sparingly in his one year with the Steelers, appearing in 12 games and starting in none of them.

He would be released by the Steelers in early February 2017. With news that he will be suspended for the entire 2017 NFL season, this could signify the end of Gilbert’s short NFL career as we know it. Keep in mind that he was a unanimous 2013 All-American playing for Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12.

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Cleveland would trade out of the No. 4 pick in 2014 to fall back to No. 9 so that the Buffalo Bills could select wide receiver Sammy Watkins. The Browns would then move up to No. 8 from No. 9 with the Minnesota Vikings to take Gilbert.

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