Coming off a rough three-win season, there weren't many positive takeaways for a Browns team that entered the season with postseason hopes. However, there were some positive individual performances in the mix of bad that can provide some optimism heading into the 2025 season.
Some players who surpassed expectations in a rough year include receiver Jerry Jeudy, linebackers Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush, edge rusher Isaiah McGuire, and defensive tackle Jowon Briggs. With that, Bleacher Report's Matt Holder went through each roster and found his best-kept secret on every squad. McGuire made the cut for the Browns after his improvement in his second season.
Isaiah McGuire called Browns' best kept secret
McGuire was a fourth-round pick of the Browns in the 2023 draft out of Missouri. His rookie season was essentially a redshirt year in 2023, where he played only 93 total snaps as Za'Darius Smith was a starter with Ogbo Okoronkwo and Alex Wright as the top backups. With Smith getting traded during the 2024 season, McGuire stepped into a bigger role and thrived.
Overall, McGuire ranked 11th in PFF grade for edge rushers out of 211 players on 469 snaps. He didn't play quite as much as the top-end edge rushers, which skews his grade a little bit, but he still finished 73rd out of 211 in total snaps played. Getting into more specifics, McGuire thrived against the run. He posted the fourth-best run defense grade of any edge rusher because of his 19 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
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Coming out of Missouri, McGuire had a great athletic profile as he received a RAS score of 9.54 out of 10. His size was scored as good at six-foot-four, 268 pounds, but his explosiveness and short-distance speed stood out as elite, to increase his score.
Following Garrett's mega-extension this offseason that makes him one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks, the Browns will need inexpensive options opposite him to counter the cost. McGuire wasn't dominant rushing the passer, but with Garrett, Mike Hall Jr., and Mason Graham, he doesn't need to be more than a bit above average in that department.
In an edge rusher room consisting of Garrett, McGuire, Wright, Okoronkwo, along with newly added Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Julian Okwara, the Browns have quietly created depth at the position with enough upside to complement Garrett. The continued ascension of McGuire and the return of Wright will be key for this room to perform to their potential.