The Cleveland Browns were, as usual, a mess last season, finishing their 2016 campaign with a 1-15 record. The silver lining, however, was that they got to make the first pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, with which they selected Myles Garrett, the freakish defensive end from Texas A&M. Garrett suffered a high-ankle sprain during practice in early September and has yet to play in a regular-season game, but Thursday brought some good news for the Browns, who are once again among the league's worst teams with an 0-4 record: According to NFL.com's Kevin Patra, Garrett is "expected to make his debut this week" against the New York Jets.
Regresé.
— Myles Garrett (@MylesLGarrett) October 4, 2017
About Myles Garrett
At the young age of 21, Garrett is about as physically impressive as any player in the league. He stands at a chiseled 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds, and he has long arms (35.25 inches) and big hands (10.25 inches), but he is much more than just an imposing body.
The towering youngster ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, also adding 33 bench reps, a 41-inch vertical jump, and a 128-inch broad jump. His numbers weren't only impressive among his own position group (they ranked sixth, second, first, and second, respectively, among defensive linemen), but they were also impressive when compared to the more athletic position groups.
Garrett's 40 time was the same as star rookie running back Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, and his vertical jump would have tied for second among all wide receivers at the 2017 combine.
Projected No. 1 overall draft pick Myles Garrett runs the 40 at Texas A&M's Pro Day. (via @SECNetwork) pic.twitter.com/l4rvfms0tR
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 30, 2017
Garrett paired his mouth-watering athleticism with elite college production, generating 31 sacks and 47 tackles for loss over his three years at Texas A&M (34 games).
He also forced seven fumbles, batted five passes, and even notched an interception. All of this production came while teams frequently double- and triple-teamed Garrett, as leaving him with only one player blocking him often resulted in a big play for the A&M defense.
For both the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Garrett earned All-SEC and All-American honors, and he won the Bill Willis Award in 2015 as the nation's top defensive lineman.
The Browns badly need a pass-rusher
The Cleveland Browns will not make the playoffs this season. They don't have a decent quarterback, nor do they have anyone for the quarterback to throw to, and the defense is filled with too many players who are either ineffective or still young and getting their NFL bearings.
That being said, it would still be nice to see some signs of life from this team, allowing the organization and fans to have some hope for the future. Garrett should provide that immediately as the team's new top edge defender. The Browns defensive ends currently rank 72nd, 79th, and 85th in the league among 103 qualifying players at the position, per Pro Football Focus, and that poor play on the edge has been a major factor in the team's defensive struggles.
The Browns rank 29th in points allowed, 23rd in pass defense, and 27th in yards allowed per pass attempt. Through four games, they don't have a player with more than two sacks, and they have forced just two interceptions. An infusion of pass-rush talent should be a boon to the Browns' effectiveness against the pass, and Garrett will be a huge upgrade hunting quarterbacks off the edge. Not only is Garrett likely to be productive on his own, but he should also draw enough attention from opposing offensive lines to give his teammates more opportunities to make plays.
Opponents have been running on the Browns a lot this year, but the team has been great at stymying opposing rushing attacks, allowing just 3.0 yards per carry.
Garrett, a well-rounded talent, should only make that run defense better, and his prowess as a pass-rusher could give a huge boost to a defense that can't stop anyone's passing attack and struggles to make big plays.