Cleveland Browns nominees for each 2021 NFL award
By Nick Swanson
Defensive Player of the Year – Myles Garrett
This was actually tough to choose from. Normally, Myles Garrett would have been the far and away favorite for this award. With how the Browns front office has rebuilt this defense, Denzel Ward, Jadeveon Clowney, and John Johnson III could also realistically be in contention.
Garrett should still be the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award because of how consistently good he has been. With the addition of Clowney, he could be even better. It’s bad enough for offensive linemen to deal with a superstar pass rusher, pair Garrett with Clowney, who can still be an above average to good pass rusher, the defensive line is terrifying.
He’s only played a full season once in his career which is concerning but if he can manage to stay on the field he’ll be in talks for the DPOY. The chatter always starts early in the season as he usually gets off to a hot start and then dies down when he seems to hit a wall late in the season. If Garrett can continue to assert his dominance on opposing offensive lines and ends up with 17+ sacks and 3+ forced fumbles, he would be a surefire candidate.
An increase in production is expected this season as Garrett is in the early stages of the prime of his career. He’s coming off of his second Pro Bowl selection and his first ever selection to the First Team All-Pro. If he can hit his stride early, he should end the season as one of the premiere edge rushers.