It is clear that Andrew Berry knew he had to address the defensive line this offseason as he has attacked the position in free agency and the draft. Adding another pass rusher in Missouri’s Isaiah McGuire with their second fourth round, at pick no. 126.
McGuire is an athletic player that can win with some power from time to time. He plays with such a relentless motor and has a great blend of physical traits to produce opposite Myles Garrett. Let’s look at how the team’s second Day 3 pick grades out overall and why Browns fans should be happy with this selection.
The production:
McGuire had a pretty productive career at Missouri with sevens sacks this past season and six sacks the season before. Sometimes sack numbers don’t tell the whole story as McGuire had a really impressive 17.6 percent pass rush win rate for the Tigers last season. PFF gave him an 82 pass-rush grade last season and an 84.7 pass-rush grade in true pass sets.
It’s not just the impact that he makes in the passing game he is pretty effective against the run. PFF had him at a 9.8 percent run stop percentage as well as a 74.3 run defense grade.
Production Grade: B-
Another great pick for the Browns!
Isaiah McGuire 2022 PFF Grades:
82.0 Pass Rush Grade
74.3 Run Defense Grade
17.6% Pass rush win rate 👀Great start to today. #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/cq6I8tQ9eX
— Zach D (@ZachNoah52) April 29, 2023
The fit:
The team lacked production outside of Myles Garrett and they have prioritized it in free agency and the draft. This team is looking for athletic rushers that can also set the edge in the run to fit into the defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz scheme. He fits everything they have shown to target and can give good run defense in early snaps as well as quality pass-rush snaps when you give a breather to other players.
Fit Grade: B
The Grade:
I believed the team should target McGuire in the third round at pick no. 74 so to get him in the fourth it feels like a great move. He is a versatile player that can grow into a three-down player that can make plays in both areas of the game.
He needs to improve his pass rush plan because if he doesn’t win with his first move he doesn’t have a ton of different moves. But with the physical tools and athletic profile it makes a ton of sense.
The Grade: B