Which 5 Cleveland Browns would be protected in an expansion draft
By Randy Gurzi
![Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) chats with teammates during an NFL football practice at the team's training facility, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal]Browns 11](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fdawgpounddaily-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F16263263-850x560-a4d1c14fad70530f86ab049591bc4c17ee125b046b0c91c44bbcb4347a715631.jpg "Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) chats with teammates during an NFL football practice at the team's training facility, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange / Akron Beacon Journal]Browns 11")
2. Myles Garrett
Believe it or not, there was actually a faction of fans that wanted the Cleveland Browns to take Mitchell Trubisky No. 1 in the 2017 NFL Draft. There was even a report that the front office considered the move but thankfully, they made the right call and went with Myles Garrett from Texas A&M.
Since they made that move, Trubisky went on to struggle with the Chicago Bears — who took him at No. 2 after moving up in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers — and is now a reserve for the Buffalo Bills. Garrett, on the other hand, has established himself as one of the best defensive ends in the league.
In four years, Garrett has 42.5 sacks and the only time he failed to rack up double-digit sacks was his rookie season when he missed five games. Even while playing just 11 contests as a rookie, he had 31 tackles and seven sacks, so it’s not as if he wasn’t still impressive that season.
His best performance was in 2018 when he had 44 tackles and 13.5 sacks as well as three forced fumbles. That was also the only year where he played all 16 games — and if he can suit up for each contest this season, he should be in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year.
Garrett has had his share of ups and downs during his short career but the highs far outweigh the lows and he’s not only a stud pass rusher, but he’s the face of this defense. That’s why No. 95 is an easy choice to protect here.