A Year-By-Year Breakdown of Myles Garrett's Football Career

A first overall pick, an NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and all-out game changer for the Cleveland Browns, Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett does it all.

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (not pictured) during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

By now, we all know about the Hall of Fame-level of consistency that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans displays year in and year out, but what about a certain Texas A&M Aggies alumnus on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage?

For everything Evans has been able to show on offense, Myles Garrett has been just as productive on defense since bursting onto the NFL scene in 2017, when he was drafted with the first overall pick by the Cleveland Browns.

But just how good has Garrett been in his time on the gridiron?

Let's take a look.

Born in Arlington, TX, Garrett attended Martin High School, where he was a standout athlete in football, basketball, and track and field. In his senior year of play, Garrett tallied 19.5 sacks and was gifted the 2013 Landry Award, given to the best high school player in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

A five-star recruit and the second-best overall player in his class, Garrett committed to play football at Texas A&M on October 18, 2013.

Playing as a true freshman and the no. 2 overall prospect in the entire nation, Garrett quickly made his presence felt, breaking the A&M freshman sack record in only six games, and breaking the SEC freshman sack record three games later. He would finish with 11.5 sacks and 53 tackles, earning him a consensus Freshman All-American selection by USA Today and a Freshman All-SEC selection.

Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) tackles Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Garrett avoided a sophomore slump, leading the SEC with 12.5 sacks and recorded his first interception against the Ole Miss Rebels. The edge rusher was named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and also the Football Writers Association of America.

Garrett's junior year saw him miss two games with a high-ankle sprain, but he still finished with 8.5 sacks, 33 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and a pair of forced fumbles. Garrett was again graced with first-team All-American honors by numerous football publications.

Following the 2016 season, Garrett announced he would forgo his collegiate eligibility and declared for the 2017 NFL draft.

Garrett was ranked no. 1 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s big board of draft picks, as the Cleveland Browns were in need of a defensive front.

And that projection would become reality in April. With the first overall selection, the Cleveland Browns selected Garrett in a draft class that also included current stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp, T.J. Watt, and George Kittle.

Another high ankle sprain forced Garrett's NFL debut to be delayed four games, but once he finally did debut, it was clear the Browns made an excellent choice with the first overall pick. On his first NFL play, Garrett sacked New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown and sacked him once more throughout the game.

The Browns would come up short 17-14 and would continue to go a winless 0-16 on the season, but Garrett was a surefire silver lining for the team, recording seven sacks and 31 combined tackles on his way to be named to the 2017 PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Garrett again avoided a sophomore slump in 2018, starting all 16 games as a defensive captain for the Browns and recording 13.5 sacks, 44 tackles, and three forced fumbles. The Browns would miss the playoffs, but went 7-8-1 on the season, a drastic improvement from 2017.

For his performance, he was invited to his first career Pro Bowl and named a second-team All-Pro alongside Cameron Jordan and fellow Aggie Von Miller.

2019 saw Garrett continue to play at a high level, but also came with some controversy. During a Week 11 game against rival Pittsburgh Steelers, Myles Garrett and Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph got into a scuffle as the game was ending, which saw Garrett pull Rudolph to the ground, followed by Rudolph retaliating by kicking Garrett in the groin and attempting to pull off Garrett's helmet. Instead, Garrett removed Rudolph's helmet and struck him in the head with it.

Nov 14, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) hits Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) with his own helmet as offensive guard David DeCastro (66) tries to stop Garrett during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Garrett apologized for his actions and was suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Garrett finished 2019 with 10 sacks and 29 tackles in the 10 games he played.

Garrett was reinstated on February 12, 2020, and signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with Cleveland that July.

In 2020, Garrett would miss two games after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list late in the season but was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October after collecting six sacks and 14 tackles. Garrett was named to his second career Pro Bowl and was named a first-team NFL All-Pro for the first time in his career alongside fellow 2017 draftee T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Garrett and the Browns would make the playoffs, their first berth since 2002, and defeated the Steelers in the Wild Card round 48-37, Cleveland's first playoff win since 1994. The Browns, however, would lose in the Divisional Round to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

In Week 3 of the 2021 season, Garrett sacked Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields 4.5 times, breaking the Browns' franchise record for most sacks in a single game and earning him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

In Week 14, Garrett would become the first Brown to earn a rating of 99 in the Madden NFL video game.

Garrett set career highs in a productive 2021 season, with 16 sacks and 51 combined tackles. He was named to his third career Pro Bowl and his second consecutive first-team All Pro.

2022 saw Garrett set a new career high in tackles, with 60 and again post 16 sacks in the regular season. He also forced two fumbles on his way to his fourth career Pro Bowl, a second-team All-Pro naming, and a fifth-place finish in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Week 7 of the 2023 season saw the Aggie defender record nine tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and also block a field goal in a narrow 39-38 win over the Indianapolis Colts, earning him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Garrett led the Browns to another playoff berth, but were quickly eliminated following a 45-14 beatdown by C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans.

Finishing with 14 sacks, 42 total tackles, and a career-high four forced fumbles, Garrett was named to his fifth career Pro Bowl and his third first-team All-Pro.

And at the 13th NFL Honors, Garrett was named the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after leading a dangerous Cleveland defense to an 11-6 record.

The 2024 season has seen Garrett reach the 100 career sacks mark, the youngest player in NFL history to do so, and just this past Sunday he became the first player in history to record four consecutive seasons of 14 or more sacks.

He currently sits at 14 sacks, 38 tackles, and three forced fumbles, with a repeat of NFL Defensive Player of the Year highly likely for the defensive end.

A spot in Canton likely already secured, Garrett continues to wreak havoc in Cleveland and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

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