BEREA, Ohio -- Myles Garrett reached a milestone of sorts this week: It’s the first time this season the first overall pick in the 2017 draft was not listed on the injury report.
Garrett incurred a high ankle sprain the Wednesday before the opener, and he returned in Week 5 against the Jets. However, he was always listed prior to this week.
Does this mean Garrett is back to full strength?
“Somewhere near it,” he said Thursday.
Which is one of the few encouraging things for the Browns at this point of a winless season. Garrett, even though not fully healthy, was a force in 33 snaps in last week's loss to Houston, standing out in a game in which few played well.
Pro Football Focus wrote that Garrett led all NFL defensive ends in pass-rush productivity (pressures on a per-snap basis weighted toward sacks) with a 28.9 rating, 10 points higher than anyone else. The analytics site added Garrett had seven pressures on 19 pass-rush plays with one sack and one hit. He also had two stops in the run game.
For a point of reference, Garrett has nine pressures in 34 pass-rush snaps, the same total that his replacement Carl Nassib has in 128 snaps, PFF wrote.
ESPN Stats & Information reports that since Garrett started playing, the Browns have generated pressure on 35 percent of quarterback dropbacks. With Garrett out, that number was 22 percent.
Garrett’s ankle improved markedly from the Jets game to Houston, but he still is not fully healthy.
“I feel like you can expect better,” he said. “I missed out on a couple big plays.”
Garrett’s pressure on Deshaun Watson led to Watson throwing an interception that Jason McCourty returned for a touchdown. It came on a rush when he had to plant and change direction, which is significant given the ankle.
“You can see him starting to truly get back to where he was before -- the speed, the quickness, the hand placement and the movement in his body,” coach Hue Jackson said. “He is doing some good things, and he just has to continue to get better. I think we all know there is a whole [other] level for him in there. I think he will keep pushing and keep working at it.”
On Sunday, Garrett will face Titans tackle Taylor Lewan, one of the better left tackles in the league and in his fourth season out of Michigan. Garrett admitted Lewan, who went to his first Pro Bowl after last season, will provide a good way to gauge his progress.
“The guy is a hell of a player,” Lewan said of Garrett. “Let’s be honest, he’s the No. 1 overall pick for a reason ... The guy checks off every box. He’s fast. He’s good with his hands. He’s shown a good spin move in the past. He’s got three ways of attacking the tackle.”
Quarterback Marcus Mariota is coming off a hamstring injury that limited his mobility in Monday night’s win over the Colts -- something Garrett said he is aware of. However, Mariota was a full participant in practice this week.
The season has been a roller coaster of sorts for Garrett. He arrived as the first overall pick, and the week before the season there was a good feeling around the team that he and quarterback DeShone Kizer would provide a foundation for the future.
“However I get to start my journey, as long as it gets started," Garrett said. “Just going out there trying to make plays. Whether it was Week 4, Week 10, I’m just glad to be out here trying to help my teammates.”
Garrett took in the Cavs' opener against the Celtics Tuesday night, and cringed with everybody else when he saw the gruesome ankle injury that likely ended Gordon Hayward’s season.
In a sense, that injury helped put Garrett’s in perspective. Garrett did not miss a full season, and he did what he could to stay involved and get healthy while injured.
“Just 'cause I wasn’t out there, I’m still feeling those six [losses]," Garrett said. "Because this is my team. Regardless of whether I’m sitting on the bench or out there participating, I’m going to give my all whatever I’m doing.”