It’s been only two weeks, but the NFL already has a handful of winners and losers. Several players throughout the league haven’t lived up to the hype, while some are proving to be valuable additions. Derek Barnett of the Cleveland Browns is earning well-earned praise because of his contributions.
The 30-year-old defensive end made it on PFF’s list of best edge defenders in the league so far, ranking No. 17 behind Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos and ahead of Alex Highsmith of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Barnett has generated four hurries from just 20 pass-rush snaps, giving him a 20.0% pressure rate despite a 60.9 pass-rush grade. He has also faced double-teams on 35.0% of his rushing opportunities. His stronger work has come against the run, where he owns a 79.3 grade and has earned a positive mark on 29.4% of 17 snaps without recording a negatively graded play,” PFF.com wrote.
This is just a small sample size for Barnett. Although it’s impressive so far, he will need to keep it up in the weeks ahead. Luckily for him, he will have plenty of chances.
This is Barnett’s first season on the field with the Browns, and they are surely figuring out how to best use him. Before coming to Cleveland, he spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.
The Browns’ roster is becoming increasingly full of younger players who are new to the league. That may lead some people to believe that Barnett will have a trickier time earning playing time, but he won’t have a problem staying on the field if he keeps playing like this.
One of the Browns’ biggest goals in 2026 is keeping the defense strong. That was one of their finest assets in 2025. A proven, experienced veteran like Barnett could be just what they need.
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