If nothing else, Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett isn’t lacking confidence regarding his talents ahead of the upcoming season.
Garrett elicited strong reactions throughout the football community earlier this week when he said he believes he should be No. 1 overall in NFL Network’s Top 100 player rankings for this year. The three-time Pro Bowl selection later admitted he expects to land “somewhere in the top 20” when the list’s final 20 players are unveiled on Sunday.
For a piece published Friday, Adam Schein of the NFL’s website left Garrett out of his overall top 10. Los Angeles Rams defensive superstar Aaron Donald topped Schein’s list, followed by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, reigning Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, and Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes.
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt checked in at No. 6. Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey is the final defensive player named seventh overall.
“Garrett set a Browns single-season record with 16 sacks in 2021, earning his third Pro Bowl and second first-team All-Pro nod,” three-time Super Bowl champion and NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest noted when ranking Garrett second among his current edge rushers behind only the previously mentioned Watt.
“He’s also fresh off an appearance in The 99 Club in the ‘Madden NFL 23’ ratings after posting 92 pressures last season (second to Maxx Crosby’s 112). He’s such a unique player at the defensive end position, featuring a combination of strength, speed and athleticism. He has incredible lean and bend for a guy in a 6-4, 272-pound frame, making him a nightmare matchup for even the most elite tackles.”
Per ESPN stats, Garrett’s 16 sacks last season were good for third overall behind only Robert Quinn (18.5) and Watt (22.5). Perhaps the two-time First-Team All-Pro will use quotes from individuals such as Schein as bulletin-board material for the fall months.