The Forgotten Man: Browns’ Defensive End Depth, Unveiling the Key Players Beyond Myles Garrett

On the defensive end of the ball, the Cleveland Browns dominated the previous season. Jim Schwartz, who took over as defensive coordinator when Joe Woods was fired, was, if you had to pick just one acquisition to be the greatest going into 2023,. Schwartz won the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award at the conclusion of the season.

A defense led by Jim Schwartz is distinguished by its strong defensive line. He is renowned for having brought up a number of defensive linemen and elevated them to national prominence.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham. Kevin Carter and Albert Haynesworth of the Tennessee Titans.

Despite never being formally named the greatest, Myles Garrett, a defensive end, has been in the NFL since 2017 and has a reputation for being among the best every year.

Is it a coincidence that Garrett won NFL Defensive Player of the Year the moment Schwartz took over for the full season?

In addition to placing studs at every location, part of the strategy calls for rotating a strong group of chess pieces.

There are no other positions on the field like the offensive and defensive lines. These players touch the ball on every play. During a game, no other position consistently acts in this manner.

In addition, participants become exhausted from the continual tugging and dragging among big men and want a break to regain their breath.

The more time the starter has to relax on the sidelines, hydrate, and perhaps check their TikTok account or watch cat videos, the better the backup.

At the right defensive end, the Browns had Za’Darius Smith (ZDS), a seasoned veteran, in addition to Garrett. ZDS was a well-known mega-sack master who was traded to Cleveland last year.

He didn’t come cheap, signing a $11.71 million one-year contract before being re-signed this year for a $23.5 million two-year deal.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Alex Wright are backups, and the third team consists of Sam Kamara, Isiah Thomas, and Isiah McGuire.

How did the Browns get each player?

Wright was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of UAB. During the free-agent period of the previous year, Ogbo secured a three-year, $19 million contract that kept him away from the Houston Texans.

For the previous two years, Kamara has occasionally been a member of the practice squad. McGuire, drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, was a former member of the First Team All-SEC. In the seventh round of the 2022 draft, Thomas was selected.

The Wright Method

Aside from Garrett, Ogbo (6′-2″, 250 pounds) was the player that truly stood out last year. His playing time was restricted to about 25% of that at the start of the season.

However, he started to receive an increasing number of defensive snaps in the middle of the season. By the end of the season, he had played 445 snaps, or 41.9% of the total.

Despite working a part-time job, he ended the season with 4.5 sacks. In addition, he recorded 12 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits, and 31 tackles.

In a concurrent journey, Wright (6′-5″, 267 pounds) started every game as the first player off the bench and was the other backup behind Za’Darius Smith on the depth chart.

Although he was considered a project as a rookie, he performed better than anticipated when Jadeveon Clowney and Garrett’s injuries required him to play.

After Garrett, Wright played the second-most snaps over the whole season. As a result, he saw more snaps than Chase Winovich and Clowney, two players who were seen as essential members of the defense.

Wright gained experience early on since he was able to grab five sacks. Wright did not have a particularly good rookie season, and his play was generally unattractive.

He had a fair season overall, ranging from a few games of exceptionally good play to periods of bad play.

His pressure rate was a pitiful 3.8%, and his Pro Football Focus score was a very low 54.8.

He was meant to set the edge, but he frequently got trapped inside, allowing the confinement to collapse completely and creating a wide gain window for the outer lane.

Wright was no longer the first player off the bench as the season went on. That post was filled by Ogbo, who made that distinction.

Therefore, there were high hopes for Wright in 2023.He had an excellent training camp, and his play was highly praised in several articles. He was thought of as a pass-rushing talent with some run-stopping ability.

Wright was coveted by the Browns because of his size and 34″ arms, which gave him exceptional reach. In addition, he was seen as a raw talent in need of guidance and seasoning.

Even though he played in a lower conference against teams that never even dared to be ranked, he was effective in college. When UAB faced the University of Georgia, which went on to win the national championship, Wright also performed admirably.

Although Wright’s ability to stop the running game is now thought to be his finest attribute, he will need to improve on his pass rush. As long as he can deflect throws and exert sufficient pressure on the signal-caller, he doesn’t need to be an excellent rusher to really get to the quarterback.

Wright will have to demonstrate more progress in the future. Is this situation urgent? Maybe. His position on the roster may be in danger if he can’t prove his worth on defense because he lacks the versatility to play inside.

He is just the right size, something Schwartz craves. However, there are players who are a step ahead of him, like Thomas and particularly McGuire, who are eager to pass Wright as ZDS’s primary backup and get more plays. McGuire possesses explosive strength and has been playing well.

Four defensive ends are what the Browns need to be on the field for every game. They know that both replacements will have some dropout potential, but not to the detriment of the defense in the interim when the starters are taking a few plays off.

With any luck, Wright can establish himself as a solid run-stopper who can exert pressure on the offensive backfield. The coaching staff is particularly fond of him, and if he keeps improving, he may be a big asset.

Wright’s playing time will be restricted if he doesn’t improve, and other players might end up coming off the bench before him.