The Cleveland Browns have lost 26 in the past two seasons. A new coach has arrived in Todd Monken, who is an offensive-minded coach. Everywhere he has landed as either a head coach or the offensive coordinator, his team’s offense has been transformed.
And now, he takes over one of the league’s best defensive teams and an atrocious offense.
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The Browns’ defense features All-World edge rusher Myles Garrett, who won his second “NFL Defensive Player of the Year”
award, and LB Carson Schwesinger, who captured the “NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Year” award.
Same defense, same year. That’s impressive.
Defensive guru Jim Schwartz is no longer with the franchise. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has been removed from his post. A slew of new coaches has arrived, including the new DC, Mark Rutenberg. Veteran coach Dom Capers was hired as the Senior Defensive Assistant to Rutenberg. Shaq Wilson joined the Browns as a defensive analyst in 2026. Paul Worrilow joined the Browns as a defensive quality control coach this year as well.
None of these coaches has a history with Garrett. Of course, they all know him as an elite defensive player who likes to drive really fast, but not a single one has any equity or blood, sweat, and tears in Garrett the player.
So, if Garrett is traded, then to these guys, he is. It’s a business, remember? To them, he is not what every Browns fan loves to discuss around the water cooler on Monday. He is not the coaches’ favorite player and the franchise’s longest tenured player. He doesn’t represent the Cleveland Browns like the fanbase sees him as. None of these new guys owns a Garrett jersey.
He is just Myles Garrett, the sack master and reigning “Defensive Player of the Year.”
Garrett adjusted his contract recently in a way that would make a trade possible, even if complicated. But this isn’t the first time the subject of Garrett being traded has arisen. And that came and went after Cleveland ponied up with a four-year, $160 million extension on March 9, 2025, with $123.5 million guaranteed and an average salary of $40 million per year.
If Garrett, age 30, is traded this time around, all of us Browns fans will be disappointed, but hopeful that Garrett can end up on a team that has a chance at a ring. A lot of great NFL players never tasted a title game, much less played in one, such as Joe Thomas, Dick Butkus, Barry Sanders, Steve Largent, Tony Gonzalez, and Gale Sayers.
And while the Browns would end up with a bounty of draft picks. The current estimate is three first-round draft picks or two first-rounders paired with other high-value picks. The trade would most likely occur after June 1, which could involve 2027/2028 capital.
The Maxx Crosby trade that fell through was for two first-round draft picks, but Garrett would come with two “Defensive Player of the Year” pieces of hardware after he set an NFL single-season record with 23 sacks. His trade value is deemed higher with these accomplishments, two being this past season.
Players like Garrett rarely become available, so Cleveland won’t be selling him cheap. Already, several NFL media sites have predicted his potential landing spots to be the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Three of these clubs are in the NFC, which is more likely to happen than trading Garrett within the conference.
The Browns have stated they have no intention of trading Garrett, and the changes to his contract were made for long-term salary cap flexibility for the club going forward.
If Cleveland does indeed ship Garrett off to a winning team, the defense will need to replace him in April’s NFL draft. Even if the Browns keep Garrett, it can always be a positive to add more pass rush help.
New pass rusher from the 2026 NFL draft
Here’s a list of the Top-10 pass rushers in this year’s draft:
1. Arvell Reese
Accolades: National champion, Consensus All-American, First Team All-Big 10, Big 10 Linebacker of the Year, Academic All-Big Ten, Two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete
Draft ranking: #2
Specifics:
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 13.5
Career Pass Defenses: 2
2. David Bailey
Accolades: Consensus All-American, First Team All-Big 12, Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, Pony Express Award winner, Lombardi Award finalist, Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl invitee, Academic All-Big 12
Draft ranking: #4
Specifics:
College: Texas Tech
Height: 6’-4”
Weight: 251 pounds
40-time: 4.5
Career Tackles: 163
Career Forced Fumbles: 10
Career Sacks: 29
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 42
Career Pass Defenses: 4
Career games: 46
3. Rueben Bain, Jr.
Accolades: National champion, Consensus All-American, First Team All-Big 10, Big 10 Linebacker of the Year, Academic All-Big Ten, Two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete
Draft ranking: #5
Specifics:
College: Miami
Height: 6’-3”
Weight: 263 pounds
40-time: 4.72
Career Tackles: 121
Career Forced Fumbles: 3
Career Sacks: 20.5
Career Interceptions: 1
Career Tackles for Loss: 33.5
Career Pass Defenses: 2
Career games: 38
4. Keldric Faulk
Accolades: Third Team All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman Team, SEC Leadership Team, Senior Bowl invitee
Draft ranking: #19
Specifics:
College: Auburn
Height: 6’-6”
Weight: 276 pounds
40-time: 4.67
Career Tackles: 109
Career Forced Fumbles: 1
Career Sacks: 10
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 19.5
Career Pass Defenses: 6
Career games: 37
5. Akheem Mesidor
Accolades: First Team All-ACC, First Team Academic All-American, Honorable Mention All-ACC (2024), Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2021)
Draft ranking: #20
Specifics:
College: Miami
Height: 6’-3”
Weight: 259 pounds
40-time: 4.9
Career Tackles: 208
Career Forced Fumbles: 5
Career Sacks: 35.5
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 52.5
Career Pass Defenses: 4
Career games: 65
6. T.J. Parker
Accolades: Second Team All-ACC, Freshman All-American
Draft ranking: #27
Specifics:
College: Clemson
Height: 6’-4”
Weight: 263 pounds
40-time: 4.68
Career Tackles: 126
Career Forced Fumbles: 6
Career Sacks: 21.5
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 41.5
Career Pass Defenses: 4
Career games: 39
7. Cashius Howell
Accolades: Unanimous All-American, First Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Third Team All-MAC (2023)
Draft ranking: #36
Specifics:
College: Texas A&M
Height: 6’-2”
Weight: 253 pounds
40-time: 4.59
Career Tackles: 127
Career Forced Fumbles: 3
Career Sacks: 27
Career Interceptions: 1
Career Tackles for Loss: 35.5
Career Pass Defenses: 15
Career games: 56
8. Zion Young
Accolades: First Team All-SEC, Senior Bowl American squad MVP, SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll selection, Academic All-Big 10
Draft ranking: #37
Specifics:
College: Missouri
Height: 6’-6”
Weight: 262 pounds
40-time: 4.77
Career Tackles: 131
Career Forced Fumbles: 3
Career Sacks: 11.5
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 28.5
Career Pass Defenses: 5
Career games: 46
9. R. Mason Thomas
Accolades: First Team All-SEC, Second Team All-SEC (2024)
Draft ranking: #49
Specifics:
College: Oklahoma
Height: 6’-2”
Weight: 241 pounds
40-time: 4.67
Career Tackles: 65
Career Forced Fumbles: 4
Career Sacks: 25.5
Career Interceptions: 0
Career Tackles for Loss: 25.5
Career Pass Defenses: 3
Career games: 42
10. Malachi Lawrence
Accolades: First Team All-Big 12
Draft ranking: #52
Specifics:
College: UCF
Height: 6’-4”
Weight: 270 pounds
40-time: 4.52
Career Tackles: 72
Career Forced Fumbles: 3
Career Sacks: 20
Career Interceptions:
Career Tackles for Loss: 28
Career Pass Defenses: 5
Career games: 39
Whether it is after a Garrett trade or to pair with Garrett, which edge rusher do you want the Browns to select, and where in the 2026 NFL draft should they look to add to the DE position?
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