CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Dalvin Tomlinson was drafted a little later than Myles Garrett was in 2017 but the Browns might have found themselves a pair of Avengers up front.
Garret of course was taken first overall by the Browns while Tomlinson had to wait 54 more selections before the New York Giants took him in the second round, 55th overall.
“I am super excited to play next to him,” Tomlinson said during a Zoom introductory video conference Thursday afternoon. “He is one of those freak athletes. He is truly a generational player.”
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Tomlinson has seen Garrett use the Thanos snap, which he uses as his own celebration, after taking down quarterbacks.
It was just meant to be they finally teamed up.
“Most definitely, especially when I saw him do the Thanos Infinity snap, like my sack celebration I do it all of the time, it is definitely going to be a great friendship blossoming right there,” Tomlinson, who wears a glove on his right hand in tribute to the Infinity Gauntlet, said.
During the 2021 NFL Draft held in Cleveland, Garrett looked like The Incredible Hulk when he stepped to the stage to introduce a selection wearing a green suit that appeared to be so tight his arms and chest seemed poised to shred the fabric with the slightest motion.
Garrett has gotten to do plenty of “snaps” coming off back-to-back 16-sack seasons – a franchise record – but the rest of the front failed to generate much in the way of pressure or impact plays during the 2022 campaign.
That should significantly change this fall.
“We are both going to demand a lot of attention,” Tomlinson said. “Even if we are on the same side, you can’t double-team everybody up front. That is the biggest thing. The more chemistry we are going to build with each other through OTAs, training camp and all of those things and just playing off of each other, I feel like the sky is the limit.”
In addition to helping get after the quarterback, the Browns are counting on Tomlinson to help them shore up what was a porous run defense a season ago that saw them hold opponents under 100 yards just six times.
“As a defensive lineman, I feel like going into each season there is always a lot of pressure to stop the run because if you can’t stop the run, you will never get to pass rush,” Tomlinson said. “Just want to come in and help everybody across the whole front so we can be one unit up front to stop the run as much as possible.”
His strength, power and flexibility gives Tomlinson the belief he won’t have many problems plugging a gap or two.
“I think I am a great run defender,” Tomlinson said. “Also, I just feel like what makes me good in that role would have to be just being disruptive and being physical throughout from the point of attack to the end of the play. Just have to be physical throughout the whole play and every single play.”
Garrett and Tomlinson have diverse off-the-field interests.
Garrett loves gaming, movies, cars and dinosaurs among others. Tomlinson gaming and the arts, including music, movie and art.
“My mom always said if you have an interest in something, pursue it,” Tomlinson said. “I had a lot of interests as a kid, if it was video games, drawing, different sports and things of that nature. Every time I want to try something new, I always just go for it.”
Garrett is the same way. He too, just goes for it – on and off the field.
The only question for Tomlinson and Garrett seems to be, who gets to keep being Thanos?