STAR OF NFL DRAFT
A&M’s Myles Garrett goes to Cleveland with first pick
Former Texas A&M standout Myles Garrett was the top player selected in Thursday’s NFL draft.
And once the Cleveland Browns picked him, Garrett promised the worst team in the league, “Big things are coming.”
The Browns, after entertaining the idea of selecting North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, a hometown kid, opted for Garrett, viewed as a can’t-miss prospect.
The Chicago Bears then traded up with San Francisco to take Trubisky with the second selection.
Garrett told ESPN: “I feel great. ... reaching this one life goal. I have many, many more.”
He then promised the Browns “we’re going to have something change right away.”
The draft unfolded in Philadelphia, where thousands of fans watched it in person. But Garrett viewed the festivities from his hometown of Arlington. He said weeks ago that he wanted to experience the draft with his family and the friends he’s known all his life.
Meanwhile, Kevin Sumlin, his coach, was in Philly representing the Aggies.
“Cleveland is getting a smart young player who wants to be the very best,”
Sumlin said. “He will work hard in the film room, the weight room and on the field. He is very coachable and is eager to learn. He took that approach his entire time with the Aggies.
“Myles is a tremendous teammate. A great example of his perseverance and willingness to compete was after he was injured in our Arkansas game. He could have shut it down the rest of the season, but he worked hard to get back on the field. Even though he wasn’t 100 percent, he gave everything he had the remainder of the season including the bowl game.”
Garrett, who gave up his final season of eligibility at A&M, became the first Texan to be tops in the draft since former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who grew up in Houston, was selected by Indianapolis in 2012.
Until the Browns opted for Garrett, the last time a player from an in-state school was picked at No. 1 was Kenneth Sims back in 1982. Sims, like Garrett, was a defensive lineman. He starred for the Texas Longhorns and then played for the New England Patriots.
Garrett also became the first A&M player to go No. 1.
The Aggies extended their own prestigious first-round streak. With Garrett, A&M has produced first rounders in seven straight years. There have been nine total; seven of them were selected in the top 10. While Garrett was No. 1, Von Miller (2011) and Luke Joeckel (2013) were the second overall selections.
Why was Garrett the top pick?
Scouts loved his athleticism. He’s viewed as cerebral. He played a highvalue position in the pros. He had the genetic bloodlines. His brother played in the NBA, and his sister was an All-American track athlete at A&M.
About his only knock was whether he had the necessary intensity to thrive in the NFL.
Sumlin said Garrett played half the season with an ankle injury, refusing to sit out. Sumlin mentioned that against Tennessee, Garrett was supposed to play only on third downs, yet he was in the game through two overtimes.
“He was playing on basically one leg,” Sumlin told NFL Radio. “That says a lot about him.”
The analysis on NFL.com gushed about Garrett, calling him an “uber athlete,” while mentioning that he had a “chiseled physique . ... and not just beach muscles.”
Garrett tested well at the NFL combine, running a 4.6-second time in the 40-yard dash, a time considered fast for a smaller linebacker, and had a 41-inch vertical jump.
All the skill means his bank account is about to swell. Jared Goff, last year’s first choice, signed a four-year deal worth nearly $28 million, of which $18.6 million was in a signing bonus.