Myles Garrett didn’t come to the Los Angeles Rams just to be a name on the roster. The Rams traded for the former Cleveland Browns star knowing he’d change the identity of their defense, and then Aaron Donald made things even scarier by announcing he’s coming back for 2026. Put those two next to each other on the same line, and opposing quarterbacks already have a problem before Week 1.
Garrett is coming off the best season of his career to back that up. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year set the single-season sack record last year in Cleveland, finishing with a league-best 23 sacks to go with 33 tackles for loss. He’s now a five-time First-Team All-Pro, and that kind of season doesn’t go unnoticed around the league.
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The NFL released its Top 100 Players of 2026 list this week, a ranking voted on entirely by the players themselves. Six Rams made the cut, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford at No. 4, receiver Puka Nacua at No. 7, Davante Adams at No. 53, Byron Young at No. 84 and Kyren Williams at No. 89.
Now, Garrett has the No. 1 tag to match his dominance. He topped the entire list, landing at No. 1 in a ranking built by the guys who actually have to line up across from him.
The reaction from around the league said just as much as the ranking itself. In an NFL video capturing the moment, players didn’t hold back on what makes him so hard to deal with.
“He’s unblockable, there’s nothing you can do,” Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II said. Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin put it differently: “It’s got to be Myles Garrett, I mean, he’s fake — he’s a created player.”
49ers tight end George Kittle said there are only three or four guys in the league who force a team to change its entire game plan, and put him at the top of that short list. Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby called him a complete player, elite against the run and the pass.
Bills tackle Dion Dawkins surely did not leave any room for debate: “He’s the best player in the NFL, hands down. He is God’s gift to football.”
Garrett was indeed overwhelmed by listening to his NFL peers’ praise. “It means a lot coming from all these guys — they’re all at the very top of their game,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been one of the best defensive players in the league in the last five years. I’m just trying to separate myself and make that known… hoping I can continue this and make it back-to-back.”
The Rams open the 2026 season on Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
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