The offseason got off to an eventful start for the Cleveland Browns back in the winter when star defensive end Myles Garrett requested a trade. That request lingered for a few weeks before Garrett was ultimately made the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at the time.
It was a deal the Browns were always going to make, so it didn’t faze the organization much to follow through. That’s the part people often overlook — the Browns didn’t just hand Garrett a massive contract to make things right. He earned that payday, and they were always prepared to give it to him.
Now making $40 million per season, the expectations are sky-high for the superstar pass rusher to continue dominating. ESPN recently released its annual rankings of NFL edge rushers, voted on by executives, coaches, and scouts — and Garrett once again landed at No. 1.
NFL Personnel Agree: Myles Garrett is the league’s best pass rusher
One anonymous scout pointed to Garrett’s continued development as a major reason he’s remained elite since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2017:
“He has significantly refined his overall game over the years,” an NFC personnel evaluator said. “A good tackle used to be able to give him problems, but that’s less and less the case now. He’s more consistent with his pass rush.”
Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL's best pass rushers:
*Myles Garrett earns +70% 1st place votes back-to-back years
*Crosby stock 📈
*Hutchinson enters elite
*Two Texans in top 10, Burns and Bonitto snubbed
*Verse! https://t.co/WBEpb8D1Jr— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 9, 2025
Garrett has recorded at least 12 sacks in each of the past four seasons and has reached double-digit sacks in every year of his eight-year career — except his rookie season, when he posted nine. He has been named First-Team All-Pro in four of the last five seasons, including in 2023, when he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Now 29 years old, Garrett is in the prime of his career and well on his way to what could be a Hall of Fame-worthy legacy.
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