When Cleveland Browns fans think about the 2025 season, frustration and fatigue might be two words they use to talk about it. There were some positive moments throughout, and some players made a genuine impact on this team, but they were never able to put it all together for a stretch of meaningful wins.
The season might have been a bust, with one of the worst records in the league, but there may be hope for this team heading into the future. For example, the Browns’ 2025 NFL Draft class was viewed as incredibly strong across the league, as they have several players who made an immediate impact during their rookie campaigns.
The Browns also had some other players who performed extremely well, but might have gotten overlooked due to the team’s lack of success in the win column. Defensive lineman Maliek Collins is one of those, as he was named on the “Secret Superstars” column that analyst Zach Tantillo recently published on PFF.
“Before suffering an injury in Week 13, Collins formed an elite one-two punch alongside Myles Garrett. From Weeks 1-13, he posted an 87.2 PFF pass-rush grade, the second-highest mark among all interior defenders. Over that span, Collins tied for third at the position in sacks (6.5), ranked fifth in pass-rush win rate (14%), and recorded the second-most positively graded plays on the Browns’ defense,” Tantillo wrote.
As Tantillo noted, through 13 weeks, Collins was the second-best interior defender in the league as it related to pass-rush grade, which is no small feat. He was rarely mentioned in mainstream sports media, however, as this season was seemingly all about Myles Garrett and the rookies from a reporting standpoint.
Players like Collins aren’t always going to get the credit they deserve, especially when they play alongside superstars, but they hold a valuable place on their teams. The Browns can use all the help they can get moving forward, and if Collins sticks around for another season, he could be a veteran leader for the young players of this locker room.
The young players on this roster are certainly exciting and the future of this organization, but it’s important to recognize players like Collins who are helping shape them into future superstars.
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