The Cleveland Browns have certainly made a whole lot of noise in recent weeks, trading down from the No. 2 overall pick of the NFL Draft and passing on Travis Hunter in the process while also moving up in the fifth round taking Shedeur Sanders.
Heck, the Browns were also in the news circuit quite a bit earlier in the offseason, when they finally agreed to a contract extension with Myles Garrett, putting an end to his trade demand.
But in all of the chatter surrounding Cleveland this offseason, some very intriguing players have gotten lost in the fog, and perhaps the most severe case of that is defensive end Isaiah McGuire.
The Browns selected McGuire in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, add after a quiet rookie campaign in which he did not play very much, McGuire proceeded to post 36 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 16 games last seaosn.
McGuire’s playing time increased following the trade of Za’Darius Smith at the deadline to the point where he actually played in 90 percent of Cleveland’s defensive snaps in Week 17.
The 23-year-old also registered an 83.3 overall grade at Pro Football Focus in 2024, which ranked 11th among 211 qualifying edge rushers.
Heading into next season, McGuire seems likely to take on more of a full-time role, although Alex Wright—who appears to be recovered from a torn triceps injury—may push him for snaps upon his return.
McGuire seems like an obvious breakout candidate. He will be playing on a defensive line that includes Garrett and incoming rookie Mason Graham, which means he may have some free lanes to get into opposing backfields and rack up some sacks.
The Browns felt like they landed a steal when they nabbed McGuire on Day 3 of the draft two years ago, and based on his production over the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Missouri, you can see why.
But somehow, not even Cleveland fans are talking about McGuire, who displayed plenty of potential during the back half of 2024 and has very clear raw physical talents that could make him quite the threat in the trenches in 2025 and beyond.
Perhaps it’s because of all the hoopla surrounding the Browns’ first-round draft pick, their quarterback situation and all of the Garrett news from months ago. Maybe McGuire will begin to pick up steam as a sleeper candidate as we get deeper into the offseason and into training camp.
All things considered, you just can’t help but feel that Cleveland may have a defensive star in the making here, and everyone is going to be late on it.
