The Cleveland Browns finally got it right.Let it sink in for a moment, because it's difficult to accept.After years of inept decisions and massive draft-day blunders, the Browns are now building toward something with the selection of Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.More importantly, the Browns now have an identity built around its dynamic defensive front.Prior to Garrett's selection, an underlying belief existed that Cleveland would find a way to screw up the draft.Frankly, the organization deserved the honor based on a history of failed first-round picks that included Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Barkevious Mingo, Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel just in the last five years.Early Thursday, the rumor mill started to churn. Cleveland was prepared to bypass the consensus top talent in this year's draft for North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Many chortled at the idea of Cleveland passing on Garrett.The franchise's fortunes began to turn under the direction of executive vice president of player personnel Sashi Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and head coach Hue Jackson.Everything started when the Browns "earned" the No. 1 overall pick and made the logical decision to select Garrett. As the Chicago Bears showed one pick later, it would have been easy for Cleveland to force the situation and select a quarterback (they chose Trubisky). Instead, the Browns brass stayed true to its board with the one player considered a legit franchise talent at a premium position.His presence adds something Cleveland lacked for a very long time. Opposing teams will go into each week's preparation knowing they have to stop Garrett.The last time the Browns had that type of defender on the field, safety Eric Turner roamed the grass at Municipal Stadium before the organization's move to Baltimore.Garrett immediately becomes the heart of a defense now under the direction of taskmaster Gregg Williams, as the young man revealed after being drafted, per theFort Worth Star-Telegram's Charean Williams:"Big things are coming," the two-time first-team All-American told Cleveland media after the selection, per ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi. "I won't let them down."Garrett is Superman with shoulder pads. He's everything an organization wants in a pass-rusher, and the Browns need to be rescued after a 1-15 campaign. The Texas native shouldn't be viewed as a consolation prize because this class lacked an elite quarterback prospect.The Texas A&M product stands 6'4" and looks like he's sculpted out of granite at 272 pounds. During his NFL combine workout, Garrett finished top five among defensive linemen with a 4.64-second 40-yard dash, 33 bench press reps, 41-inch vertical and a 10'8" broad jump.According to Three Sigma Athlete's Zach Whitman, Garrett tested among the 98th percentile for edge defenders at the NFL level.During his time in College Station, the former Aggie registered 32.5 sacks and 48.5 tackles for loss in three seasons. Garrett displayed an explosive first step, the ability to bend the edge, a capacity to convert speed to power, multiple pass-rushing moves and ever-improving run defense. Even in the games where he didn't fill the statsheet, he provided a major impact as offense shied away from the edge defender and often became right-handed in their play-calling.His presence will make everyone around him better.A year ago, the Browns tied for 30th overall with only 26 sacks. Cleveland simply hasn't had a consistent edge presence since the organization returned to the league. Only three Browns defenders have registered 10 or more sacks in a season since 1999. It's been even longer since the team finished top five in sacks, per NFL.com's Marc Sessler:Garrett can't do the job by himself. He'll be joined by multiple high picks along the defensive front.A year ago, Emmanuel Ogbah turned into the team's best rookie performer when he led the unit with 5.5 sacks. Like Garrett, Ogbah is an exceptional developmental athlete. The Oklahoma State product also tested off the charts. At 6'4" and 273 pounds, he posted a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, 35-inch vertical and 10'1" broad jump.Where the Browns failed with the former second-round pick was placing him at right defensive end and three-technique early in his career. Ogbah excelled as left defensive end for the Cowboys with 24 sacks during his final two seasons on campus.With Garrett set to take over as the blindside pass-rusher, Ogbah can become more comfortable on the strong side. This duo is jam-packed with potential to harass opposing quarterbacks.They'll be joined by another former first-round pick in nose tackle Danny Shelton. After his first season, Shelton appeared to be a draft bust. But he became a force in Year 2 after committing to a more strict dietary regiment and offseason training program.Pro Football Focus graded Shelton as league's eighth-best run defender, and he finished fourth with 42 stops. If he continues to develop into a more consistent pass-rusher, his ability to collapse the pocket will make Garrett and Ogbah even more effective.Who plays the three-technique remains unsettled, though. Veteran Desmond Bryant returns after suffering a season-ending pectoral tear during offseason training. Former third-round pick Xavier Cooper remains in the mix, too. Cooper is a disruptive upfield defensive tackle, who should benefit greatly from the defense's new direction under Williams. The Washington State product improved throughout his second campaign and should receive a bigger role this fall.This young and talented defensive front will set the table for linebackers Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey.The Browns continued to build their defense with the addition of Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers later in the first round after trading down from the 12th pick. Clearly, the organization wanted to emphasize a defensive revampwith Garrett leading the way.Two approaches exist to become consistently successful in the NFL. Either a team benefits from great quarterback play or it puts opposing signal-callers on their backs.Cleveland chose to take the latter path. Since it faces Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton twice per season, it's the correct approach based on what was available to the franchise.Garrett is now the face of the franchise and legitimate game-changer for the moribund Browns.
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