Browns Pass Rush Improvements by the Numbers
After an underwhelming 2022 season and now with Deshaun Watson cleared to play without limitations, the Cleveland Browns made their pass rush the primary focus of the offseason. It's easy to simply say that the Browns improved the unit, but a look inside the numbers reveal just how limited they were in 2022 and how much of a boost these new players should add to this group.
The Browns had a measly 34 sacks in 2022, 16 of which came from Myles Garrett. That's a whopping 47 percent. It served to highlight how dominant Garrett is while illuminating just how ineffective everyone else was.
Not surprisingly, the lack of sacks were indicative of a larger problem.
This chart is a testament to just how much Myles Garrett was carrying this group. Even with the car wreck and the shoulder injury that resulted, Garrett was still dominant and no one else took advantage. Taven Bryan was worth a look on a flyer contract but wasn't enough of a factor to prioritize for 2023.
It's understandable why the Browns acquired Chase Winovich in the trade with the New England Patriots for linebacker Mack Wilson. He just wasn't on the field enough due to injuries.
Clowney's 2022 season was miserable and illustrates just how baseless his complaints about the defense were when he threw his world class hissy fit to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, claiming among other things that no one believed in him.
Based on the numbers, the person who believed in Clowney the least was Clowney. So in an effort to try to provide some additional context, here's how his 2021 numbers looked.
Clowney had a strong season in 2021 and was an excellent complement to Myles Garrett in helping the Browns contain the run, forcing it back inside. He also posted some strong numbers as a pass rusher. But even if the Browns got two great seasons of Clowney, the Browns would've been smart to move on from him in favor of adding the combination of Za'Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo if their goal was to put pressure on the quarterback.
As it stands, 2022 Clowney basically brought as much to the table as Dalvin Tomlinson did for the Minnesota Vikings as a 325 pound defensive tackle. Even 2021 Clowney doesn't really compare to what Smith and Okoronkwo put up when it came to attacking the quarterback.
These four offseason acquisitions combined for half a sack more than everybody on the Browns defense not named Myles Garrett.
Context is important. Smith and Tomlinson played together with the Vikings this past year and had Danielle Hunter operating as the team's biggest threat. Smith actively sought to play for a team that offered a great edge rusher to play across from in order to maximize his effectiveness. He considered the Browns the last time he was a free agent before signing with the Vikings and getting to play across from Hunter.
Hunter is a phenomenal player, but Myles Garrett is better. As gawdy as Garrett's numbers are, it's even more impressive when factoring in the amount of time he was facing double teams, leading the league in that category. If that remains true in 2023, Smith should continue to thrive.
Meanwhile, Okoronkwo was largely a part time player with the Houston Texans up until the latter half of this past season. Their primary edge rushing threat was Jerry Hughes, who had a great year. Garrett is better, so that could enable Okoronkwo to do more damage..
One number that pops out is Trysten Hill's win percentage against true pass sets. It's third behind Garrett and Smith. Between his time with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, he only had 121 total pass rush reps and 40 of those were against true pass sets. It's a small sample size that might explain why the Browns took the flyer on Hill, but wasn't enough to warrant an investment that guarantees him a spot on the team. The Browns would owe Hill $300,000 if they cut him.
It's a similar situation for Maurice Hurst, the player likely competing with Hill for that roster spot. Due to injuries, Hurst has been limited to 41 snaps over the past two seasons. Based on his time with the Raiders, if he can stay healthy, he might provide a spark.
As a team, the Browns generated a total of 245 pressures according to PFF. For context, the five best teams in the league all had at least 375. 73 of the Browns pressures came from Garrett while 46 came from linebackers and defensive backs, meaning the rest of the defensive line accounted for a measly 126. The three biggest defensive line additions the Browns made combined for 146 this past season.
Based on their averages over the past three full seasons, Garrett and Smith could combine for 150 pressures and 25 sacks if they stay healthy the full season, already 40 percent of that goal of 375. Okoronkwo's pressure rate should scale with an increase in usage.
That is a substantial improvement from what the Browns had last year, but there is still work to do if they are going to be reach that elite level. As the charts show, the Browns got basically nothing from rookies Alex Wright and Perrion Winfrey. Isaiah Thomas made some worthwhile contributions in limited opportunities. The Browns also drafted Siaki Ika and Isaiah Thomas to add to the room, but expecting contributions from rookies is inherently risky.
There might be a path for Jordan Elliott to earn a role as a rotational pass rusher that can attack from the one or the three. Entering year four, he needs to be more consistently disruptive. The defensive scheme Jim Schwartz wants to run might play to his strengths and a different role might allow him to shine more often.
Beyond their own individual improvement, Schwartz is will be working to devise ways to put more pressure on the quarterback through partly through various line stunts. And while Schwartz historically hasn't blitzed much, it will still play a role in the defense and could help to close some gaps.
On every pass rush metric, the moves the Cleveland Browns have made this offseason represent a significant improvement. They have a strong group of front line players and the best supporting cast Myles Garrett has had in his career with the Browns, but in order to be an elite pass rush, the Browns will require larger contributions from the young depth pn this team.
