Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett's impact on the defense

Myles Garrett hasn’t just been good for the Cleveland Browns so far, he’s completely changed the complexion of their defense.

There was plenty of discussion about who the Cleveland Browns would actually take with the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. The team made it clear how difficult a decision it really wasn’t by selecting Myles Garrett and since he’s hit the field, he’s done nothing but justify the decision and show everyone why it was so easy. But Garrett hasn’t just looked promising, he’s a huge reason this defense is playing on a completely different level.

Long forgotten is the minor foot injury that sidelined Garrett a few weeks between minicamp and training camp. Those concerns have been replaced by clips showing off just how impressive Garrett is, both with his physical gifts and his knowledge of the game.

Three games into the preseason, it’s difficult to find the plays where Garrett isn’t making an impact while enjoying the ones where he’s wreaking havoc on the opponent. And his teammates are not only helping him in that area, but they are benefiting from his disruption.

Because of the position he plays and where he was drafted, the expectation is that he will get after the quarterback. He has notched one official sack in preseason, which was about as easy as it will ever get in the NFL, but he’s consistently been putting pressure on opposing passers.

Beyond his own pass rush capabilities, he’s creating opportunities for opponents because of how threatening he is. Drawing double teams, moving around the defensive line and taking advantage of matchups, he is a huge focus for opponent.

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A small concern coming out of college was how Garrett would play against the run. He didn’t always squeeze opposing tackles as much as he should to shrink running lanes and some weren’t sure if he could push back the line of scrimmage in the NFL.

As impressive as Garrett has been as a pass rusher, he’s been better as a run defender. He’s taken on double teams, held his ground, re-established the line of scrimmage in the backfield and made tackles in the backfield. Linebackers playing behind him have feasted on opportunities he’s created, putting opponents at a major disadvantage.

At Texas A&M, opponents would design their gameplan and call plays to avoid Garrett as much as possible. That is already becoming the norm in the NFL, just in the preseason. Garrett has not seen the best of the best among offensive tackles yet, but the teams he’s played are already trying to get away from him, which is providing a massive advantage for the Browns.

COLLEGE STATION, TX – NOVEMBER 12: Myles Garrett #15 of the Texas A&M Aggies warms up before playing the Mississippi Rebels at Kyle Field on November 12, 2016 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

In College Station, avoiding Garrett meant finding some substantially less talented players on the other side of the defense. The Browns don’t suffer from that problem, having talented players all over the place. And with Gregg Williams calling the defense, he can call it based around Garrett winning his matchups, be it against the pass or run.

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This allows Williams to have the defense more geared to help in the middle and the side Garrett is not on, giving the Browns an appearance of having extra defenders on the field. Combining that with the overall improvement to the defense’s speed, it’s having the Browns fly around, make plays and really frustrate opposing offenses.

The result, even if it’s just preseason, is the Browns have been much better against the run, which is forcing teams to be in more obvious passing situations, which is allowing them to tee off as pass rushers. Garrett is not the only reason this is happening, but he is the biggest one. Not only are they getting more sacks, but quarterbacks are feeling more pressure and making rushed decisions, helping the Browns get off the field quicker.

The most incredible part of this is that Garrett is only 21 years old. In this past draft, the Browns added David Njoku and DeShone Kizer who are all 21 years old, but they are making mistakes in the NFL that would be expected of a 21-year old. Garrett, meanwhile, seems to cover some of the mistakes of his teammates. He’s not supposed to be this good this fast and yet every week, he’s gaining confidence and causing more problems.

Offensive gameplans and schemes will throw more at Garrett when they prepare for him, but the fact is teams are going to have to use time in their preparation purely to try to figure out a way to stop Garrett. Even if it works, that in itself is a massive impact. And the way Garrett’s been going, it seems only be a matter of time before he figures out how to beat them.

Next: NFL 2017: One unpopular take about each team

As long as Myles Garrett is on the field, he elevates the Browns defense and puts them substantially ahead of schedule on that side of the ball, giving this team a talent on defense the team hasn’t had in arguably decades. There are still holes to fill on this new defense, but the mere presence of Garrett is making the entire unit better and the Browns appear to have one of the truly special players in the NFL.

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Cleveland Browns: The impact of Myles Garrett

By Peter Smith | Aug 28, 2017

Myles Garrett hasn’t just been good for the Cleveland Browns so far, he’s completely changed the complexion of their defense.

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