The Cleveland Browns are coming off their best season in a quarter-century—an 11-win 2020 campaign that included a dominant victory over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. But it was clear heading into the offseason that if the Browns were going to build on that success, the franchise desperately needed to upgrade a below-average defense around star edge-rusher Myles Garrett.
Cleveland had already fared well in that regard, adding impact players in the defensive backfield, upgrading the linebacker corps and bringing in a recent first-round pick and a former Pro Bowler along the defensive line.