With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett arrived in Cleveland as a consensus All-American and a generational physical talent. Joining a franchise navigating turbulent years, the defensive end immediately stepped into the spotlight as the Browns' unquestioned cornerstone, blossoming into one of the most feared edge rushers in professional football history.

Garrett combined explosive get-off speed with exceptional bend around the edge. With rare functional strength and a wide range of pass-rush moves, he regularly broke through double-teams, chipped tight ends, and disrupted max-protect schemes, collapsing pockets and strip-sacking quarterbacks.

What distinguishes Garrett’s playing style from that of nearly all his contemporaries is his amalgamation of Olympic-level athleticism and a strategic pass-rush arsenal. Immediately following the snap, Garrett demonstrates an explosive initial burst, attaining maximum velocity within the first two steps and compelling offensive linemen to retreat. His signature physical attribute is his remarkable ankle and hip flexibility—permitting him to dip his shoulder almost parallel to the ground to execute a corner turn at full speed without diminishing his momentum.

Defenders could not over-commit to his outside speed track, however, because Garrett possesses brute power. He routinely uses a bull-rush to convert speed into power, driving 310-pound tackles backward into the quarterback’s lap, or uncorks a lightning-fast cross-chop and euro-step spin move to flash back inside. Beyond rushing the passer, his long wingspan and strong hands allow him to set a hard edge against the run, shedding blocks in an instant to blow up plays in the backfield before they develop.

Following his rookie year in 2017, during which he recorded seven sacks across 11 games, Garrett significantly elevated his performance in 2018 with 13.5 sacks, thereby earning his initial Pro Bowl selection. In subsequent seasons, he established himself as a formidable presence on the field, securing consecutive First-Team All-Pro honors and participating in the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021 while anchoring Cleveland's defensive line. Garrett set a franchise record with 16.0 sacks in 2021 and matched this total in 2022, leading a predominantly struggling unit with a high-level pressure rate that consistently ranked near the top of the National Football League.

Garrett achieved the highest level of individual recognition in 2023 by receiving his inaugural AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. He led Cleveland's top-ranked defense into the postseason, recording 14.0 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, and four forced fumbles, while also leading the entire NFL with an Approximate Value of 20. During a subsequent challenging 2024 season, he secured his fourth First-Team All-Pro selection. Garrett maintained an impressive performance with 14.0 sacks, led the NFL with 22 tackles for loss, and ranked third in DPOY voting, continuing a distinguished pattern of multiple double-digit sack seasons.

The 2025 season proved to be a historic individual campaign for a defensive player in modern NFL history. Operating as an unstoppable force, Garrett delivered a single-season performance for the record books, setting a new NFL single-season sack record with 23.0 sacks—breaking the previous record of 22.5, shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.

Garrett’s 2025 campaign was marked by a franchise-record five-sack performance against the New England Patriots in Week 8, as well as a consecutive streak of nine games with at least a half-sack. In addition to his 23.0 sacks, he led the NFL with 33 tackles for loss (the second-highest in a single season since 2000), and recorded 39 quarterback hits, 60 tackles, and three forced fumbles. For his distinguished efforts, Garrett was unanimously honored with the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award—becoming only the ninth player in league history to receive this accolade multiple times. Moreover, he became the first player in NFL history to achieve at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons and is the only player to record eight straight campaigns of 10 or more sacks at the start of a career.

Although Garrett signed a long-term extension during the 2025 offseason, strategic changes and a roster rebuild resulted in a surprising trade in June 2026. The Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse, a first-round pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028, and a third-round pick in 2029. Garrett appeared in 134 games, ending his career as the franchise’s all-time leader with 125.5 sacks and 149 tackles for loss.