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Myles Garrett has shown why he was the No. 1 overall selection during his first two years in the NFL.
Garrett posted 13.5 sacks last season - just a tick behind Reggie Camp’s official team record of 14, which he set in 1984 - and Garrett ended the year with the first of what should be multiple Pro Bowl selections.
The Browns added reinforcements this offseason, trading for defensive end Olivier Vernon and signing defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson as a free agent.
“From a size, length, strength, explosiveness perspective, if you built a defensive end, it would be Myles Garrett.” ⬅️@PFF_Mike on why Garrett is one of our players to watch in Year 3https://t.co/rh0M22w7Y2 pic.twitter.com/y019yQn5LS
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) May 10, 2019
With a few other defenders occupying the minds of opposing offensive lineman, Garrett should be ready for even more in 2019, which is part of why Pro Football Focus selected Garrett as one of their favorite players from the 2017 NFL Draft:
Garrett is a freak of nature. His size, speed and strength combination is truly not of this world, and he’s put it to good use in his two years in the NFL. His 86.2 pass-rushing grade in Year 2 of his career ranks eighth among the 80 edge defenders with 300 or more pass-rushing snaps in their second season in the league. The men ahead of him on the list: Von Miller (93.1), Joey Bosa (91.3), Shawn Merriman (90.6), Yannick Ngakoue (90.5), Khalil Mack (90.5), Cameron Wake (90.1) and Elvis Dumervil (88.1). The sky’s the limit for Garrett, and that may be an understatement.
Much of the hype currently surrounding the Browns focuses on the offense and what that side of the ball will be able to do with quarterback Baker Mayfield in his second season and the acquisition of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
But the defense will need to carry the water at times as well, and if Garrett can continue to build on his game, people just might be talking about the Browns defense as well.