Throughout history, analysts have developed metrics to show a player’s value on their team, taking a non-traditional approach to quantifying how important a player is to their team’s success.
One of the newer metrics to be developed shows just how important Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett is to the Browns.
Pro Football Reference developed an Approximate Value statistic using some traditional team and individual statistics to determine which player meant the most to the team’s success.
Analyst Dov Kleiman posted on Twitter the leaderboard from last season, showing that Garrett had the best Approximate Value of any player in the NFL in 2023.
The top 20 most valuable players in the NFL last season by approximate value (a stat by pro football reference) pic.twitter.com/cNgrcnl6uT
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 28, 2024
In fact, Myles – who tied with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cee Dee Lamb in 2023 – had one of the best-ever Approximate Value statistics of any defensive player in NFL history according to the all-time leaderboard the football website shared.
Garrett was named the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year after his impactful season, finishing the year with 42 tackles, 14 sacks, four forced fumbles, three pass deflections, and one fumble recovery.
Only Browns legend Jim Brown had a better season than Garrett in the team’s history as the NFL Hall of Fame running back had four seasons ranked above Garrett’s 20-point effort according to Pro Football Reference.
Four of the next five players on the Approximate Value statistic list are quarterbacks, and Kansas City’s Chris Jones is the next highest-ranked defender at No. 8.
The Browns signed Garrett – who is 29 years old this season – to a five-year, $125 million contract in 2021 to secure his services until 2026.
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