Heading into the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns have re-tooled their defensive line. They signed Dalvin Tomlinson and Ogbonnio Okoronkwo in free agency, traded for Za'Darius Smith, and also drafted Isiah McGuire and Siaki Ika.
It has yet to be seen just how successful this corps will be but the expectations are through the roof. What we do know for sure is that Myles Garrett is the leader of the pack — and he's arguably the best defensive lineman to ever suit up for the Browns.
Here, we dive into that and see where he and the other great D-linemen stack up in this top-10 all-time ranking.
Browns top-10 defensive linemen of all-time
10. Reggie Camp (1983-1987)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 70 games played, 35 sacks
In just his second season in the NFL, Myles Garrett had 13.5 sacks which nearly tied the franchise record held by Reggie Camp. His 14 sacks also came in his second year in the NFL, as Camp set the mark in 1984.
Garrett chased him for the next few seasons, finally topping him in 2021 with 16. Still, Camp's mark stood for nearly 40 years and that in itself is enough for him to crack the top 10.
A third-round pick out of Cal in 1983, Camp was an imposing figure at 6-foot-4 and 274 pounds. He also quickly became a full-time starter, earning that spot as a rookie. He remained locked in on the left side until an injury-shortened 1987 campaign forced him to miss 10 games.
From there, he spent one season with the Atlanta Falcons but suited up for just four games. Camp is now a high school football coach in Stockton, California.
9. Anthony Pleasant, DE (1990-1995)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 297 tackles, 33.5 sacks in six seasons (tied for 12th all-time in Browns history)
Another third-round pick, the Browns selected Anthony Pleasant at No. 73 overall out of Tennessee State. He played in all 16 games in each of his first two seasons in the NFL but wasn't a full-time starter. Even so, he managed 71 tackles and six sacks in this rotational role.
Pleasant did finally become a starter in 1992 and remained such through 1995 with the Browns. He even moved with the franchise to Baltimore in 1996 and started one year there as well.
At 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Pleasant was never elite when it came to rushing the quarterback but he was one of the better run defenders on the edge in the league during his prime. Even so, he wasn't a liability when it came to generating pressure, and he even had 11 sacks in 1993.
Arguably his best campaign with the Browns came in 1995, however, when he had 51 tackles, eight sacks, and a league-leading six forced fumbles.
Pleasant left Baltimore ahead of the 1997 season and spent one forgetful campaign with the Atlanta Falcons. From there, he joined the New York Jets for two years and the San Francisco 49ers for one. His final three seasons were spent in New England where he moved inside to defensive tackle and had a career resurgence — and won two Super Bowls as well.
8. Paul Wiggin, DE (1957-1967)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 60.5 sacks, sixth-most in Browns history (unofficial stats), 19 fumble recoveries
Born in Modesto, California, Paul Wiggin ended up at Stanford following a stint with Modesto Junior College. He did enough during his collegiate days to land with the Browns at pick No. 73 in the 1956 NFL Draft.
Wiggin then spent his entire NFL career with the Browns and in 11 seasons he made it to the Pro Bowl twice and helped win a championship following the 1964 campaign.
While sacks weren't an official stat until 1982, Pro Football Reference did go back to the 1960 campaign and record the statistics themselves. These unofficial numbers won't go down in any record book but for someone such as Wiggin, it does at least show how he stacked up against those who came after him.
Wiggin has an unofficial total of 60.5 sacks but that doesn't include his first three seasons in the NFL. Still, it's enough for him to be sixth in franchise history.
In addition to the number of times he took the quarterback down, Wiggin was also credited with three interceptions and an impressive 19 fumble recoveries. That includes four in each of his final two seasons in the league, and he had more than anyone in the NFL in 1967.
7. Bob Gain, DT (1952-1964)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 7-time Second-Team All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler, 3-time NFL Champion
For those who like to talk about old-school football as if the players were somehow tougher than today's age, they must have been glossing over the measurements. Take Bob Gain for instance. The former offensive and defensive lineman was the No. 5 overall pick in the 1951 NFL Draft. He then went on to play for the Browns for 12 seasons.
Keep in mind that he played both lines of scrimmage and made the Pro Bowl five times and was a Second-Team All-Pro seven times. Now, think about this — he was just 256 pounds. Sure, that's fine for a defensive end today but Gain played offensive tackle as well as defensive tackle. Imagine a 256-pound left tackle trying to stop Myles Garrett — it's not happening.
As for Gain, he was born in Akron before joining his hometown team where he ended up becoming a fixture on their defensive line. He helped lead them to six Eastern Conference titles as well as three NFL Championships.
Interestingly enough, he spent two seasons away from Cleveland. The first was in 1951 when they drafted him out of Kentucky but he ended up in the CFL for one season. After playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders, he headed back home.
Then in 1953, he served in the Korean War as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Air Force.
6. Len Ford, DE (1950-1957)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 4-Time First-Team All-Pro, 3-Time Pro Bowler
The Cleveland Browns dominated the AAFC for four years but one of their best defensive linemen of all time actually played for a different franchise in the old league. Len Ford was undrafted out of Michigan and began his career with the Los Angeles Dons.
While there, he played offense and defense and was a very successful receiver. He had 31 receptions for 598 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season and then put up 577 yards and 36 receptions — with just one touchdown — in 1949.
Once the AAFC was disbanded and the Dons weren't brought into the NFL, Ford entered what was known as the AAFC Dispersal Draft. There, he was selected by the Browns where he became a star.
Ford was converted to the defensive line full-time by Paul Brown and ended up making the Pro Bowl four times while also getting four First-Team All-Pro nods. He was also a part of three NFL Championships, as Cleveland won titles in 1950, 1954, and 1955.
Throughout his career, Ford was considered an innovative player on defense. He might not have put up eye-popping stats but he was a tactician that knew how to win with different moves.
He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
5. Walter Johnson, DT (1965-1976)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 3-time Pro Bowler, 11 career fumble recoveries, 2 defensive TDs, 66 career sacks (*unofficial stat)
A two-sport star, Walter Johnson was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft in 1965. He then played for the Browns for the next 12 seasons before spending one year with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In addition to his time on the gridiron, Johnson was a talented wrestler as well. He began that career in 1968 and once wrestled another NFL player, linebacker Ron Pritchard. He wrestled in Detroit and Japan and continued in this profession until 1984.
As for his time in the NFL, he was a little late to be a part of the Browns title runs but he still had a lot of individual success. That included three Pro Bowl appearances (from 1967 through 1969) and one appointment to the Second-Team All-Pro in 1968.
Like many others on this list, his stats aren't official but he had 66 sacks in 12 seasons to go along with his 11 fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns.
Johnson passed his athleticism onto future generations as well, His grandson, Josh Johnson, was a football player at Iowa Central and Hampton. He had another grandson, named Isiah, who played basketball collegiately at Akron.
4. Jerry Sherk, DT (1970-1981)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 70.5 sacks (*unofficial stat), 10 fumble recoveries, 4-time Pro Bowler, First-Team All-Pro (1976), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1976)
Part of the Kardiac Kids, Jerry Sherk was with the Browns from 1970 through 1981. He was there when they had their sensational comeback wins during 1979 and 1980 and even had to watch as Brian Sipe threw away their best shot at a Super Bowl during the infamous "Red Right 88."
Despite never winning it all, Sherk was as productive as anyone on the field. Pro Football Reference gives him credit for 70.5 sacks, including four seasons with double digits. He made four Pro Bowls and was even awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 1976.
Back in 2011, Sherk was ranked 35th all-time in team history by Samantha Bunten of Bleacher Report, who said he was even considered by some the best lineman in franchise history.
"DT Jerry Sherk spent his entire 14-year career with the Browns from 1970-1981. In that time, Sherk had 69.5 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries and is thought of by many as one of the greatest Browns linemen of all time."Bunten, Bleacher Report
He doesn't finish first overall on our list but he's still one of the best defenders to ever suit up for the Browns.
3. Bill Glass, DE (1962-1968)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 77.5 sacks unofficially 1st in Browns history, 4-time Pro Bowl selection
Another former Canadian Football League star, Bill Glass was with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1957 before making the move to the NFL. A product of Baylor, he started his time in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. He played in the Motor City for four years, and had a strong finish with 6.5 sacks in 1961.
He was then part of a trade that sent Jim Ninowski back to the Browns. Also included in the deal was running back Howard "Hopalong" Cassady. The Lions added quarterback Mult Plum, running back Tom Watkins, and linebacker Dave Lloyd.
For Glass, the move was a huge win. He quickly became a different player, even earning his first of four Pro Bowls with Cleveland in 1962. He ended up making it to the All-Star game three years in a row and then made it once more in 2007.
His stats are unofficial but it's still impressive to know that he had 77.5 sacks as well as 16.5 in one season. Both are ahead of Myles Garrett's official records, but likely won't be for long.
Glass ended up publishing a memoir titled 'Get in the Game' which is considered the life of the "greatest defensive end" in Cleveland Browns history. Maybe that was true at the time, but now, he comes in as the No. 2 defensive end and No. 3 defensive lineman.
2. Michael Dean Perry, DT (1988-1994)
Notable stats in Cleveland: 51.5 sacks (7th in Browns history), 10 forced fumbles, 6 All-Pro Team Selections, 5-time Pro Bowler
You know you're good when McDonald's names a burger after you.
Available only in the metro Cleveland area, McDonalds once unveiled a sandwich called the "MDP" which was basically a triple bacon cheeseburger.
Perry was a wildly popular player during his time in the NFL, as was his brother, William "Refrigerator" Perry. The Fridge ended up gaining more notoriety since he was able to play some offense and even scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl for the Chicago Bears.
However, Michael Dean was actually more decorated for his individual play.
In seven seasons with the Browns, he had 480 tackles and 51.5 sacks. His ability to slow down the run was impressive but the way he could generate pressure up the middle at 285 pounds is what helped him make the Pro Bowl five times with the Browns — and once more with the Denver Broncos in 1996.
His best season came in 1990 when MDP recorded an insane 107 tackles and 11.5 sacks. Defensive tackles don't generate numbers like that, which makes his performance that much more impressive.
MDP spent two and a half seasons with Denver following his time with the Browns and played one game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1997.
1. Myles Garrett, DE (2017-Present)
Notable stats in Cleveland: Official franchise record 74.5 career sacks, single-season franchise record 16 sacks
All of the official statistics belong to Myles Garrett. At just 27 years of age, he's on the record books for the most official sacks in one season with 16 as well as the most in franchise history with 74.5.
Garrett had been flirting with the single-season record since his second year in the league when he had 13.5. Just a half-sack shy of Reggie Camp's record, Garrett continued to fall short. Whether due to injury, or even a sox-game suspension in 2019, he just couldn't get over the hump.
That changed in 2021 and for good measure, he tied the record this past season.
Now entering his seventh year in the NFL, Garrett has 263 tackles, 74.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown. And this year, he's going to have the best supporting cast around him that he's ever seen.
Cleveland added Dalvin Tomlinson, Za'Darius Smith, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, and Siaki Ika in the offseason to take some of the pressure off of Garrett. Now, he's likely to see fewer double-teams since it would free up some of their other pass-rushers — and he won't be worn into the ground since he can taks some snaps off earlier in the game.
Garrett has already cemented himself as the best defensive lineman in franchise history and still has plenty of years to build the gap between himself and any contenders.