The Browns set out to revamp their defense this offseason, bringing in several key free agents and draft picks. He may not be the best player the Browns acquired, but defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney is likely one of the most consequential.
The 2014 No. 1 overall pick is healthy after playing just eight games for the Titans last year. And now that he’s paired with 2017 No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett on Cleveland’s D-line, there’s plenty of potential for both to wreak havoc on opponents’ backfields.
That’s at least how Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield sees it. At minicamp, Mayfield seemed glad he won’t have to line up against Garrett and Clowney once the season starts.
“I wouldn’t say it would be very fun to go up against them,” Mayfield said, via Jake Trotter of ESPN. “That duo creates a lot of stuff for a lot of other people on the back end. Obviously, we have a lot of guys who are very talented, so it is not just those two, but they do add a special dynamic when it comes down to offensive scheming, that you have to worry about those two guys.”
Garrett was leading the league in sacks and forced fumbles before missing two games when he contracted COVID-19 in 2020. But he still finished with 12.0 sacks last year, to give him 42.5 in four seasons. Clowney has 32.0 sacks in seven years, but did not have one last season. He had four tackles for loss and six QB hits in eight games with the Titans.
