Myles Garrett has clearly established himself as one of the best defensive ends in the league, and there’s no real debate there. But when the conversation shifts to the top 10 defensive ends of all time, his name does not always come up for certain reasons. That is exactly what happened when OldTimeHardball released its list of the top 10 defensive ends ever, and Garrett was left out.

And as that unfolded, at least one NFL legend had a problem with it. We are talking about Gerald McCoy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers great. Taking to his X handle and resharing the rankings, McCoy wrote:

“Myles Garrett already top 5. Yall can be upset or argue with somebody else. And I’m showing grace. It’s really top 3 but I’ll let that play out.”

The top 10 defensive ends from OldTimeHardball featured some of the biggest names the position has seen:

• Reggie White
• Bruce Smith
• Deacon Jones
• J.J. Watt
• Lee Roy Selmon
• Dwight Freeney
• Dough Atkins
• Michael Strahan
• Julius Pepeers
• Jason Taylor

And yes, no Myles Garrett. McCoy believes he should be at least in the top five, if not the top three. And this is where the debate really opens up. It is not hard to see why either. Garrett has already built a resume that checks almost every box for an all-time great defensive end.

He is currently tied for 21st all-time in career sacks with 125.5. He ranks 12th in tackles for loss, tracked since 1999, with 149. On top of that, he just broke the single-season sack record in 2025 with 23, a mark originally set by Michael Strahan and later tied by T. J. Watt.

Add to that his second Defensive Player of the Year after the 2025 season. That made him the ninth player in league history to win the award twice since it was introduced in 1971, putting him just one behind Aaron Donald, J. J. Watt, and Lawrence Taylor for the most all-time.

That kind of resume explains why McCoy is pushing him into the top five conversation. But there are still a few factors working against him.

The first is team context. Garrett has spent his entire career with the Cleveland Browns since being drafted first overall in 2017. His rookie year ended in a 0-16 season. There were a couple of solid years in between, but the Browns are 8-26 over the last two seasons. Now, while that did not stop voters from recognizing him as Defensive Player of the Year, it could still matter when people start ranking all-time greats.

The second factor is era.

Most of the names on that list come from older eras. Players like Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith, and Doug Atkins played in far more physical environments and, at times, in borderline dirty conditions compared to today. Offensive linemen could get away with hands to the face, eye pokes, and more holding. Defensive players, on the other hand, had to deal with chop blocks, blindside hits, and far fewer safety protections.

At the same time, the modern game has evolved in a different direction. In Garrett’s case, for starters, the time to throw for quarterbacks has dropped significantly in the modern NFL. According to league tracking data over the last decade, quarterbacks are now getting the ball out in roughly 2.3 to 2.6 seconds on average, compared to longer-developing plays in earlier eras.

There is also the schematic evolution of offenses. Today’s playbooks are filled with quick-game concepts, run-pass options (RPOs), screens, and motion-heavy designs, all specifically aimed at neutralizing dominant pass rushers

So the debate around Garrett as a top-five defensive end can go both ways, and all of this creates a different kind of difficulty. While legends like Bruce Smith or Deacon Jones dealt with a more rugged and physical version of football, modern players are navigating a game that is faster, more strategic, and increasingly engineered to limit their influence

In the end, the biggest thing that might shape Garrett’s place in that all-time conversation is this. An elite, almost complete resume, built while playing on a team that has not consistently matched his level. Still, one thing is clear: Myles Garrett is easily one of the best first-round picks the Browns have ever made.

Myles Garrett is elite; he’s just stuck with the team that isn’t

Back in Week 8 of the 2025 season, the Browns faced the New England Patriots on the road. Myles Garrett delivered one of the finest performances of his career, recording five sacks on Drake Maye. The result, though, still did not go Cleveland’s way, as they lost 32-13.

Three weeks later, the Browns were back home, facing their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. This time, Garrett recorded four sacks on two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Still, the Browns ended up losing the game 23-16. What we mean to say is that football is a team game, not an individual game.

Even the most important offensive player, like a quarterback, cannot do it alone. He needs linemen for protection, receivers to make plays, tight ends to balance both roles, and running backs to find the gaps.

And once you look at it that way, the margin for error becomes obvious. One mistake can ruin a play. A few more, and the game slips away. Myles Garrett falls into that same reality. The only difference is that he operates on the other side of the ball. Still, team performance can shape his career even if he does not need to touch the ball.

On paper, Garrett’s production speaks for itself. Across 131 starts, he has 125.5 sacks, 412 tackles, 149 tackles for loss, and 239 quarterback hits. Along the way, he has won Defensive Player of the Year twice, earned six Pro Bowl selections, and even holds a single-season sack record.

But then comes the other side of it. Despite all that, he has only made the playoffs twice. That ties back to the bigger issue. The Browns have consistently struggled to put together strong roster and seasons.

And that brings it full circle. Having one elite player is not enough in the NFL. Winning at the highest level requires a complete roster. The Browns have not been able to provide that consistently. And because of that, it could end up shaping how Garrett is viewed in the all-time conversation, even if his individual resume already puts him in that discussion.