Through 4 games, DE Myles Garrett among top contenders for DPOY

In the end, Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett would trade any individual award for team success. Generally, the two go hand in hand. Great players lead to great teams. On top of that, many awards go to players who are helping a team be successful.

Ignoring the fact that the 17-game schedule means we can’t technically use “quarter” to describe four games in, we still will.

Four games into the 2023 NFL season, the Browns are 2-2 with a win and two losses in the AFC North. In three of their four games, the team’s defense has been dominant led by their defensive line. The star of that unit is DE Myles Garrett.

In his “quarter-season awards,” (subscriber, $) ESPN’s Bill Barnwell shared his top three current in MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, along with rookie and coach awards. Garrett is third on his DPOY rankings:

There are a few metrics I’m going to lean on to help me make these choices. Garrett leads the league in one of them: sacks created, both for himself and for other Browns. He has created six, which nobody else has matched. He’s tied with T.J. Watt for the league lead in quarterback knockdowns (13) and third behind the trio of Watt, Khalil Mack and Josh Allen with 5.5 sacks.

Averaging over a sack a game for an entire season would make for an impressive season for any defensive end. That Garrett’s play has opened up impact plays for other Cleveland defenders is an even bigger impact.

If the Browns can turn it around coming out of their bye week, Garrett’s push for an award will increase. For now, he is getting credit as the straw that stirs the drink of a rejuvenated defense.

Do you think Garrett deserves the kind of praise that he is getting? Jump down to our comment section and share your thoughts on the Browns defensive end!