What Does Myles Garrett Need to Do to Win Defensive Player of the Year?

Expectations for the Cleveland Browns are the highest they have ever been in modern times, coming off of a year that saw them finish with an 11-5 record and in third place in one of the most competitive divisions in football.

The Browns have an embarrassment of riches on both sides of the ball, with Pro-Bowlers, First-Team All-Pros, and household names making up the majority of their starting units. However, one player stands above all for Cleveland: Myles Garrett.

The 25-year-old defensive end has lived up to his billing as a first-overall draft pick and has transformed himself into one of the most feared players in the entire league, and now is his best chance to win the coveted Defensive Player of the Year Award.

What Does Garrett Need to Do to Win?

Myles Garrett finished sixth in sacks (12) and third in forced fumbles (four) last season while consistently drawing double teams as the primary focus for opposing coordinators. His partner in crime, Olivier Vernon, is no longer with the team after he finished with nine sacks, but the addition of Jadeveon Clowney should keep offensive lines honest.

Last year was Garrett’s best from a per-game standpoint, as he missed two games that prevented him from surpassing his career-best total of 13.5-sacks in a season. Above all, he can boost his odds at winning Defensive Player of the Year by staying healthy and on the field.

Another way that the Browns’ star can impress is by outplaying T.J. Watt, another candidate for the award, who happens to play in the same division as Garrett, for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head-to-head matchups hold serious weight in award races, and if he can stand out as the superior player, he will get a significant boost.

Garrett will also have to help elevate his team to the playoffs, first and foremost, but most likely a division crown; last year’s DPOTY, Aaron Donald, has helped his team win the division two of the three times that he has won the award. Garrett’s Browns will be under serious pressure from the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, but with the offensive strategies of these adversaries, he will have his chances to make plays.

Other Players

Statistics are a major factor in determining the award winner— with opponents like Watt, Donald, and the rest of the NFL’s best, Garrett will need to statistically jump off of the screen with at least 15 sacks, 50+ tackles, and a boatload of quarterback hurries to boot.

If Garrett is to capture the award, it would be his first and the only one in Cleveland’s history; he will also have to earn it the hard way, facing a former MVP in Lamar Jackson and a seven-time Pro-Bowler in Ben Roethlisberger two times each, but he is in his prime and will be as motivated as ever now that his supporting cast is capable of making a Super Bowl run.