BEREA, Ohio _ Rookie defensive end Myles Garrett aspires to become a perennial Pro Bowl player, so he's looking forward to gauging himself against an opponent of that caliber for the first time in regular-season action.
Garrett will receive the opportunity Sunday when the Browns (0-6) host the Tennessee Titans (3-3) and he lines up across from Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan.
"It should be a fun matchup 'cause I like going against the best competition, especially somebody who's as good as he is," Garrett said Thursday. "It should be interesting just to test my limits of where I'm at right now and see how healthy I am."
Garrett is getting healthier by the day after missing the first four games of the season with a right high-ankle sprain he suffered Sept. 6 during practice. This is the first week of the season in which he isn't listed on the injury report.
The No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, Garrett said he's "somewhat there" when asked if he's 100 percent healthy, which obviously means he's not in peak condition but is improving.
"He hasn't had any setbacks after the games, and I think he has felt better after the games," coach Hue Jackson said. "Hopefully he can play more this week. I think that's the goal.
"You can see him starting to truly get back to where he was before _ the speed, the quickness, the hand placement and the movement in his body. He's doing some good things, and he just has to continue to get better. We all know there's a whole other level for him."
Garrett played 19 snaps and had two sacks in his debut, a 17-14 loss to the New York Jets on Oct. 8. Then in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Houston Texans, he played 33 snaps and had one sack to go along with three other quarterback hits and four other tackles, including one for loss.
"I missed out on a couple of big plays," Garrett said. "But that's what happens when you don't get there.
"You can expect better. I'm just going to keep on progressing throughout the season."
It's scary to think how good Garrett could be when he's completely healthy.
"The guy's a (heck) of a player, let's be honest," Lewan said, according to the Tennessean. "He's the No. 1 overall pick for a reason.
"The guy's got a good first step. He's a strong guy. He's fast. He's got all the accolades, as far as combine measurables. The guy really checks off every box. He's fast. He's good with his hands. He's got great power. He's shown a good spin move in the past, so he's got three ways of attacking a tackle. It's just about going out there and playing football consistently the way I have been all season."
In the second quarter against the Texans, Garrett drew a holding penalty against left tackle Chris Clark, who pulled him to the ground. Then he got up, chased down rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson and tackled him after a 3-yard run on third-and-9. With two minutes left in the first half, he lined up at right end, looped inside between center Nick Martin and right guard Jeff Allen and used one hand to yank down Watson for a sack.
In the third quarter, he split a double-team by Clark and left guard Xavier Su'a-Filo to assist cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun with a tackle for loss on running back D'Onta Foreman.
In the fourth quarter, he changed direction in the backfield to pressure Watson as he threw a pass that cornerback Jason McCourty intercepted and returned 56 yards for a touchdown.
"He's slowly getting to the Myles Garrett that we all saw in training camp and the preseason, so I'm just excited to see his game elevate," linebacker Christian Kirksey said. "He's going to get healthier and healthier and be able to be that spark for us and that impact player.
"I just see Myles trying to do what he can, make the plays that come his way and obviously make some plays that he wasn't supposed to make, but him being the caliber of player he is, we're expecting him to go out there and making game-changing plays. As he gets healthier and healthier, his game's going to evolve, and I can't wait to see when he's 100 percent."
A standout performance against Lewan would show Garrett is back to full force.
"He's talented, he's athletic and that side has been known for being guys who finish the play," Garrett said. "They play all throughout the whistle, and I like that.
"They're trying to finish you. That should be the mentality of the defense as well. They've got to match our aggressiveness."
The more Garrett plays, the more opponents will be able to study his tendencies in an effort to neutralize him. He hopes to have some tricks up his sleeve, though.
"You really don't try to show your hand completely throughout the first games, at least for me," Garrett said. "I have some stuff that I still haven't pulled out or used. So I'm going against a really good tackle, Taylor Lewan, and hopefully I can throw a curveball at him and make some plays."
Garrett is aware Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is dealing with a hamstring injury, so the dual threat's well-documented mobility could be limited.
"We should be able to keep him in the pocket without too much trouble," Garrett said. "Hopefully he won't try to scramble too much. We're preparing for both, so we'll see. But he's talented, so we've got to be prepared."
If Garrett can continue to flourish, perhaps he can contribute to an elusive win.
"It's not just 0-2 for me just 'cause I wasn't out there (for all six losses)," he said. "I still feel those six 'cause this is my team regardless, whether I'm sitting on the bench or I'm out there participating. I'm just going to give it my all whatever I'm doing."
