A lot has gone wrong for the Cleveland Browns as they head into a Week 6 game at the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it hasn’t been all bad.
The defense has been much improved and completely dominant at times, showing glimpses of the 2023 unit that was arguably the best in the league and helped the Browns to an improbable playoff berth.
One big reason the 2025 defense has been so good has been the addition of defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who, according to Ben Fennell of NFL on CBS, has the highest pass rush win percentage (21.6 percent) and quarterback pressure percentage (15.7 percent) of any interior defensive lineman in the league.
cc: Maliek Collins
1st – iDL Pass Rush Win % (21.6) via @PFF
1st – iDL QB Pressure % (15.7) via @NextGenStats https://t.co/GT4fiiS9Vo— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) October 8, 2025
Collins was an under-the-radar free agent signing, but with 3.5 sacks through five games, combined with the consistent pressure he has generated, he is off to an All-Pro start with Cleveland.
Much of the attention has been on rookie tackle Mason Graham, who has been dominant in his own right, but offensive lines are going to have to start prioritizing keeping Collins out of their backfield more and more, which could help Graham even more.
It was a major priority for this defense to figure out ways to generate consistent pressure other than from Myles Garrett.
That goal has been accomplished so far, and with how well the front seven is playing both in terms of getting after quarterbacks and stuffing the run, the Browns have the pieces in place to start winning games as long as new starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel can take care of the football.
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