Garrett: I’m willing to work to be best
from him, the offensive tackles and my fellow D-linemen.”
Garrett watched the draft at a golf club in his hometown of Arlington, Texas, with friends, family and a couple of Hall of Famers in Bruce Smith and Randy Moss. When he talked to coach Hue Jackson after he was drafted, “Jackson was like ‘I told you I wouldn’t leave you hanging. I told you that you were my guy.’ That made my night. Now, I’m just ready to go to work.”
Garrett has no reason to doubt Jackson.
“I just believed in what he was saying. He said I was his guy after we had dinner (in Texas) and that he was not going to guarantee anything, but he said, ‘If you do the right things, you have a great chance of being a Brown.’ That is what I have been looking forward to, and I am ready to go.”
Garrett, who studies video of great pass-rushers such as Von Miller, JJ Watt, Julius Peppers and DeMarcus Ware, was thrilled to spend time with Smith, a Hall of Fame defensive end:
“Bruce Smith came to my door, and we went over film and had a little lunch — one of my very favorite pass rushers of all time. Just having him here, teaching me how I can do better, it was great.
“There is stuff I can work on. You saw the little plays where I did not give all my effort, and was tired and I did not sprint all the way through the ball. Those are plays that you can see, and that motivates you to do better.
“You are not going to have great plays every single time. You have to build off the little details and the weaknesses.
“Randy Moss is one of my favorite players of all time. To see him, it kind of blew my mind. It kind of showed me that this night was not only special for one reason.”