On Monday, the Cleveland Browns officially traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a stunning blockbuster deal.
Today, more details about the Browns’ draft compensation have surfaced, and Cleveland made sure to add some fine print to ensure Garrett won’t be returning to the AFC North anytime soon.
Rams, Browns Added Unique Detail to Myles Garrett Trade
Browns general manager Andrew Berry had repeatedly stated that Garrett would remain a “career Brown” only to ship the Defensive Player of the Year to the Los Angeles Rams on June 1. In the unexpected trade, the Browns acquired edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a conditional 2029 third-round pick.
What are the conditions tied to the 2029 pick? It turns out this pick carries an “interesting wrinkle.” The league’s transaction wire revealed that the 2029 third-round selection will automatically become a first-round pick if the Rams trade Garrett to another team within the AFC North.
This is mainly to ensure that the Rams won’t flip Garrett to a division rival anytime soon, so Browns fans shouldn’t count on that pick becoming a first-rounder. It’s interesting that Cleveland built in extra protection to ensure it wouldn’t have to line up against one of the greatest players in franchise history twice a season.
Regardless, Los Angeles parted with significant draft capital and a promising young star to acquire Garrett. While they gave up a haul, it’s easy to see why the Rams made this trade.
According to PFSN’s EDGE Impact Score, Garrett posted a league-leading 95.6 grade during the 2025 season. He broke the NFL record for sacks with 23.0, while ranking No. 1 in quarterback hits (39) and No. 1 in tackles for loss (33).
Coming off an MVP season from quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Rams are clearly in win-now mode. Their championship window certainly remains wide open. With Sean McVay leading the organization and a roster loaded with talent, the front office decided to push its chips to the center of the table.
In addition to trading for Garrett, the Rams also acquired Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs and signed Jaylen Watson to improve their secondary. Last season, Los Angeles boasted the fifth-best defense in the league, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
However, their performance trailed off over the second half of the year and in the postseason in particular, as they gave up 17 or more points in all but one game from Week 10 onwards. Their new additions should help stabilize that unit and take the team to the next level.
Now, the Rams will make NFL history during the 2026 NFL season by becoming the first team to roster the reigning MVP and reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
