(Photo: WJHL)
1. Myles Garrett: We have made it to the end of the road. After this, I’ll begin preparing my game previews starting next week and continue all the way through the Super Bowl in February. However, there’s one more order of business before we even think about game previews. I always look back at the previous players who have claimed the No. 1 spot on this list. I still remember the inaugural edition in 2011 when Tom Brady claimed the top spot, and he would do it again in 2017. Over the years, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton, and Antonio Brown have all earned the No. 1 ranking. You see the direction I’m going in? Offense has dominated this project over the years. Only two defensive players have ever claimed the top spot: Aaron Donald, who did it twice, and J.J. Watt for his memorable 2014 season. Now, another defender is set to join Aaron and J.J. He made his debut on Best In The Business in 2022 and has been a fixture on this list ever since. Myles Garrett is the last name remaining. He claims the No. 1 spot as my top-ranked player and the best defender in the NFL.
There are great defensive players… and then there’s Myles Garrett. What I’m saying is this: there are plenty of elite defenders, but right now, Myles is in a tier of his own. There are levels to this game. I remember when Aaron Donald retired, I told many of my radio colleagues that Myles would inherit the title of the NFL’s best defensive player. Years later, here we are. Every offensive coordinator who prepares for Myles has one goal in mind: find a way to slow him down. Teams double-team him, have tight ends chip him, and keep running backs in to help with pass protection, yet Myles still finds a way to completely take over games. What makes him special is his combination of overwhelming power, refined technique, elite athleticism, and a relentless motor. All of those qualities make him the gold standard for defensive players today. This is the type of player you create on Madden. At 6-foot-4 and 271 pounds, he moves like a linebacker while possessing the strength of an interior defensive lineman. One thing every defensive lineman needs is a quick first step, and Myles has the best first-step explosion in football. It allows him to beat offensive tackles before they can even get fully into their pass sets. Once he wins the leverage battle, the rep is often over before it truly begins. I’ve already mentioned his power, but it’s worth repeating. Myles routinely walks offensive linemen back into the quarterback with his bull rush, collapsing the pocket even when he doesn’t record a sack. Quarterbacks constantly feel his presence because of how quickly he disrupts the integrity of the pocket. The same intensity he brings as a pass rusher carries over against the run. He consistently sets the edge, uses his length and quickness to chase down running backs, and has the athleticism to make plays that very few defensive linemen can make, especially outside the tackle box. I always knew he was an outstanding pass rusher, but what elevates him from great to elite is his versatility. Myles possesses one of the deepest pass-rushing arsenals in football, utilizing a devastating bull rush, cross-chop, swim move, rip move, and inside counter. Offensive linemen prepare for one move, but Myles is already setting them up for the next. His understanding of hand placement and leverage is what makes him one of the most technically sound defenders in the league.
For years, this man played on Cleveland Browns teams that rarely made the playoffs. Although the organization struggled through much of that time, No. 95 was always the bright spot and unquestionably their best player. His name surfaced in trade rumors for years, but nothing materialized until June of this year, when the Los Angeles Rams finally acquired him. Myles put together one of the greatest defensive seasons I’ve ever witnessed. He broke Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record by finishing with 23 sacks, and even if he hadn’t broken the record, he still would have been my Defensive Player of the Year without question. Myles Garrett is in the prime of his career, and now he’s playing for a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
