It’s the dawn of a new era for the Cleveland Browns’ defense.
Za’Darius Smith is no longer there, and as much as that could hurt most teams, the Browns might be just fine.
As a matter of fact, his departure could end up being a blessing in disguise, as it will allow them to fully deploy Isaiah McGuire.
The second-year pro has been one of the brightest spots on the team this season, making the most of limited opportunities to earn an expanded role.
That’s why PFF deemed him the biggest midseason surprise for this team:
“The Browns have disappointed on defense as a collective unit, but the team’s pass rush has generated pressure at a high level in the last few weeks. Much of that is because of the emergence of McGuire, who has totaled 12 pressures on only 83 pass-rushing snaps. McGuire has also been a force against the run, posting an 89.9 run defense grade with five stops,” Bradley Locker wrote.
McGuire ranked fourth among EDGE defenders last week.
He’s logged 17 total tackles, and he should be the starter opposite Myles Garrett going forward.
He’ll get a chance to showcase his skills against the struggling New Orleans Saints, who have struggled mightily to keep Derek Carr — or any of their quarterbacks — out of trouble.
McGuire has almost tripled his tackles total from his rookie season (6).
He had done more than enough to get more playing time, but with a veteran like Smith ahead of him in the pecking order, that wasn’t going to happen very often.
The Browns are all but waiving the white flag this season.
After starting the year 2-7, their chances of making the playoffs are slim.
At least this will give them an opportunity to get a glimpse of what they have with some of their young players, and McGuire could end up becoming a star.
NEXT: Browns Announce 2024 Fan Of The Year
