What’s Next: Why Myles Garrett Can Now Become the GOAT Pass-Rusher

The Los Angeles Rams’ blockbuster trade will allow the football world to see the NFL’s best pass-rusher on the league’s biggest and brightest stage. By luring Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett to Hollywood to help the reigning MVP make a final run at the Lombardi Trophy, the Rams are giving the seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time Defensive Player of the Year a stage that will not only cement his credentials as a future gold jacket wearer, but he could attain “G.O.A.T” status as the most talented pass-rusher to ever don the pads. 

As a former NFL player who played with Hall of Famers Bruce Smith, Reggie White and Derrick Thomas, and worked with the Carolina Panthers when a young Julius Peppers embarked on his Hall of Fame career, I am uniquely qualified to make that assessment based on watching and benefiting from their dominance and destruction at the point of attack. Considering three members of the aforementioned quartet rank among the top four in sacks all time (No. 1: Smith, 200.0; No. 2: White, 198.0; No. 4: Peppers, 159.5), the comparisons for Garrett are warranted based on his performance and production through his first nine seasons. 

Garrett, the NFL’s single-season record holder (23), has totaled 125.5 career sacks in 134 games. He has been the model of consistency, with eight seasons with at least 10 sacks and 149 tackles for loss, including a whopping 55 since 2024 alone. There’s only one real blemish on his playing résumé, and it’s beyond his control: He’s appeared in just three playoff games. 

As the featured playmaker for former Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the 6-foot-4, 272-pounder attacked offensive guards and tackles like an NBA small forward running an isolation play on the wing. Garrett’s first-step quickness and wide array of hesitation fakes and spin moves make him impossible to block without using a double team or a “chip” block from a running back or tight end. 

Additionally, the freakishly athletic sack artist can win with power, utilizing a bull rush or two-hand swipe to slip past blockers at the point of attack. Garrett’s clever use of finesse moves and old-school power maneuvers are complemented by his relentless motor. He is the rare superstar who plays with the energy and enthusiasm of a practice squad member trying to earn a permanent roster spot. 

Garrett’s competitiveness, stamina and effort jump off the tape, and it is one of his superpowers when evaluating his game. Reflecting back on my time with Smith and White, the Hall of Fame inductees also took tremendous pride in their conditioning. They were able to combine their skill with a nonstop motor that enabled them to outwork and outlast opponents on the edges. With Smith and White also capable of knocking blockers around with arm-overs and “hump” maneuvers, their ability to win with either finesse or force set them apart from others at the position. 

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year not only shares the explosive strength and power traits of the NFL’s all-time sack leader and the runner-up, but he also flashes the electric athleticism that helped Peppers terrorize opponents off the edge. The explosive first-step quickness and slippery maneuvers (dip-and-rip and stutter swim moves) are straight from the former two-sport athlete’s playbook. With Garrett capable of single-handedly destroying game plans like the three-time All-Pro and 2000s and 2010s NFL All-Decade Teams member, the Rams are adding a generational talent to the defense who will tilt the field in their favor whenever he steps between the lines. 

Considering the Super Bowl LVI blueprint that produced Sean McVay’s first Super Bowl win, the Rams have recreated a defensive lineup with similar star power. Garrett steps into the role previously occupied by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, as the disruptive force at the line of scrimmage. Although No. 99 did his damage on the interior, the attention he commanded created big-play opportunities for others on the frontline. 

Kobie Turner and Byron Young will undoubtedly benefit from Garrett’s presence, as they will see their one-on-one opportunities increase with teams sending two and three blockers in the sack leader’s direction. Given Young’s win rate (14%), per ESPN Analytics, which ranked fifth among defensive tackles in 2025 without the All-Pro in the lineup, the fourth-year pro could see his sack numbers explode this season after tallying 24 in 51 career games. 

Young quietly recorded 12 sacks a season ago, with a 16.8% Pass-Rush Win Rate that ranked among the top 20 edge defenders in the league, per PFF. As teams are forced to make tough decisions in pass protection with three credible pass-rushers on the field, Garrett’s arrival could transform a good pass rush into a great one by season’s end. 

General manager Les Snead and McVay have found a way to operate in “Super Bowl-or-bust” mode, while planning for a future with a young franchise quarterback in the bullpen. While the Rams’ acquisitions have cost them multiple first-round picks, the opportunity to add Garrett to a lineup that features an All-Pro defensive back (Trent McDuffie) and another playmaking cover corner (Jaylen Watkins) should create a dèjá vu moment that brings back memories of Super Bowl LVI when another G.O.A.T led a title run with defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Eric Weddle cast in supporting roles. 

With all eyes on the Rams, Stafford and Garrett attempting to create a storybook ending in Hollywood, the football world might finally see the game’s preeminent pass-rusher on the super stage.