Myles Garrett is the terror that walks the Earth for anyone who plays on the offensive side of the ball. Garrett makes everyone around him better, with someone on the Cleveland Browns’ roster capable of making the NFL Defensive Player of the Year’s life easier.
A year ago, the Browns traded out of the second overall draft slot, thus passing on the opportunity to select the class’s top overall talent, Travis Hunter. They moved down three slots and chose defensive tackle, Mason Graham.
Graham played relatively well during his rookie campaign despite dealing with a broken rib. While the defensive lineman’s numbers weren’t noteworthy, he became a top-five pick based on how disruptive he can be. Graham is already an excellent run defender capable of reestablishing the line of scrimmage. The defensive tackle also has enough upfield burst to be a legitimate interior pass-rusher.
Garrett isn’t just a team leader and the spearhead of the Browns’ defense. Graham fully understands what Garrett’s presence brings to his development, while also getting to pick the sack master’s brain about approach.
“I feel like everyone sees that there’s a lot of attention on Myles all the time,” Graham said as a rookie during his first training camp. “So, if he’s not getting the chip, he’s getting double-teamed or triple-teamed at some point. So there’s a lot of opportunity there, and maybe if one of us starts making some stuff happen, then that’ll take a little bit of pressure off him, and it’ll give him some free space.”
A symbiotic relationship can form between the two. Garrett comes screaming off the edge and drawing attention, while Graham collapses the pocket.
“I don’t think people realize just how hard that guy works and how detailed he is in his rush plan and how smart he is,” Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said of Graham. “You watch him before the games, he’s calling out where all the runs are going every single play. … He does a great job at the point of attack, away from the point of attack.”