CLEVELAND, Ohio — Myles Garrett has not been paired with a consistent and compatible edge rusher through his Browns tenure.
He’s been paired with underwhelming partners in Emmanuel Ogbah (2017-18) and Olivier Vernon (2019-20).
Garrett’s prime has come with pairings with Jadeveon Clowney (2021-22) and Za’Darius Smith (2023-24). Both were better, but Clowney’s nagging injuries and Smith’s lack of sacks didn’t help.
And after Cleveland traded Smith halfway through 2024, a new partner is needed.
Cleveland didn’t draft a defensive end, and it released Ogbo Okoronkwo in late June. This implies the Browns are comfortable with the options at hand.
But just know these options are young, and it’s a matter of how patient Garrett and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be. Because what good is it to bring Garrett back on a historic deal if you can’t bring the defensive necessities.
We’ll analyze how the Browns’ defensive ends have changed from last season to now, using data to evaluate both returning players and newcomers.
This data series will cover the strengths and flaws of each Browns position group.
Today, we dive into the edge rushers.
Below, we analyze data from the 2024 NFL season to evaluate the Browns’ defensive ends.
Myles Garrett
Offensive tackles tremble when lining up opposite Garrett, and for good reason.
Garrett has produced each season, but he has taken full advantage of that wide-9 technique in Schwartz’s 4-3 defense, lining him up outside the offensive tackle, at an angle facing the quarterback.
It’s led to an NFL DPOY award and has him tied for 38th in career sacks (102.5), along with becoming the first player to eclipse 14.0 sacks in four consecutive seasons, since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
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With this, comes opposing teams double-teaming Garrett.
Garrett recorded a double-team rate of 29%, which led all edge rushers, per ESPN Stats. Dallas’ Micah Parsons closely trailed Garrett with a 28% rate.
So, while Garrett creates double-team scenarios more than anyone in the NFL, there’s something to be said if the defensive end opposite of him isn’t taking advantage of those opportunities in the rush.
The No. 2 options
The options to start Week 1 opposite Garrett are upcoming third-year Isaiah McGuire, injury-recovered Alex Wright, and newly signed Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Isaiah McGuire
McGuire proved to be a pivotal playmaker while producing 36 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and tying with Garrett on the team in forced fumbles (three).
But what could separate from the pack is 19% edge run stop win rate.
It’s an ESPN Stat in which a defender earns a win off beating their opponent, disrupting a play, or recording a tackle within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage.
And McGuire was pretty solid with 54 wins.
Alex Wright
If not for an injury limiting Wright to four games in 2024, he’d get more notoriety.
He had a progressive 2023 with 25 tackles and 5.0 sacks.
During that year, he had a pass rush productivity rate of 7.1 through 147 pass rushes on the left side. Compared to a rate of 4.1 through 61 pass rushes on the right side, per Pro Football Focus.
Which is quite telling of where he’s most productive.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Taken by Tampa Bay with the final pick of the first round in 2021, Tryon-Shoyinka worked his way to becoming a full-fledged starter by his second season.
Under Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defense, Tryon-Shoyinka was listed as an outside linebacker, but more so played edge rusher.
However, his production would see a decrease, from 45 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 2023, to 24 tackles and 2.0 sacks in 2024.
That also correlated with inefficient tackling, with his 2023 missed tackle percentage (14.0%) rising in 2024 (19.4%).
Though still a double-digit game starter, there were a few games he’d appear in but not start in.
But with 138 career tackles and 15.0 career sacks, and adjusting to Cleveland’s 4-3 defense, who knows what Jim Schwartz has up his sleeve.
Conclusion
As long as he’s healthy, Garrett will deliver.
The question mark sits on the other side of the line, because if one thing is for sure, this defense is just as good or bad as their defensive line is.
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