For a moment last offseason, it seemed like the Cleveland Browns were seriously considering trading Myles Garrett. Garrett had requested a trade out of Cleveland, but the two sides were able to reconcile and agree on a new contract to keep the superstar defensive end in town.
Garrett responded with a historic 2025 NFL season where he broke the regular-season sack record en route to being unanimously voted the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Despite the Browns’ offensive struggles, Garrett single-handedly kept them in games thanks to his game-wrecking abilities as a pass rusher.
Even with new head coach Todd Monken on board, it remains to be seen how Cleveland can compete with the rest of the AFC come 2026. The Browns desperately need to overhaul the offense, so their 2026 NFL Draft class should feature a plethora of offensive linemen and receiving options.
Cleveland has two first-round picks to use on Day 1, but could accumulate more if they even entertain the thought of trading Garrett.
In fact, Gary Davenport laid out what a blockbuster trade with the New England Patriots could look like via Bleacher Report.
“New England Patriots Get: Edge Myles Garrett Cleveland Browns Get: 2026 1st-round pick (No. 31), 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 95), 2027 1st-round pick”
“A team would have to meet certain requirements to make mortgaging its future in a Garrett trade palatable. First off, the team needs to have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Given that the New England Patriots just lost Super Bowl LX to the Seattle Seahawks, they clearly fit the bill there. The Patriots also have a need on the edge of the defensive line. With nearly $44 million in cap space, the Patriots also have the financial resources to absorb Garrett’s contract. Making this sort of blockbuster would mean the Patriots are pushing all their chips into the center of the table. Garrett would make an already stout New England defense that much more formidable,” Davenport wrote.
The New England Patriots were the surprise team of the AFC in 2025 and while their defense was great, it lacked the pressure off the edge that championship-caliber teams normally have. Garrett would be the perfect addition to their defensive line and would likely enjoy working under head coach Mike Vrabel, but Cleveland would need to be blown away with an offer.
The Baltimore Ravens recently sent out two first-rounders for Maxx Crosby, so that would need to be the starting point in any trade negotiations.
The Browns are under no pressure to trade away their franchise star, so a team like the Patriots will really need to be aggressive if they want to pry Garrett away.
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