Browns: 5 best defensive players through 12 games

Myles Garrett

Was there going to be anyone else but Garrett? Myles Garrett has missed two games this year, but that hasn’t affected his statistics. He has 33 combined tackles, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 15 quarterback hits, and eight tackles for a loss. Imagine those numbers if he hadn’t missed two weeks.

Right now, Garrett is probably out of the race for the Defensive Player of the Year, as T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald really upped their game over the last few weeks, and that came right as when Garrett was forced to sit out due to COVID-19.

That hasn’t changed the fact that Garrett has been marvelous all year, and a real force as a defensive end. That doesn’t mean that his position isn’t highly overvalued, because it is, but as far as defensive ends go you won’t find very many who are better.

Garrett is going to be a key piece in the Browns playoff push, seeing as how GM Andrew Berry didn’t really spend any money on the defense this year, not even on one-year deals. Which is something the entire defense is littered with, one-year deals. They’re all just for cheap players.

Garrett is really doing a lot of this on his own, and this defense has been more lucky than good. Bailed out often by long drives from the offense, the Browns need to find a way to make Garrett and the defense real threats in the coming weeks.