The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Browns counting on Garrett to put some teeth into the defense
Myles Garrett
POSITION » Defensive end HEIGHT, WEIGHT » 6-foot-4, 272 BIRTHDATE » Dec. 29, 1995 YEARS PRO » Rookie COLLEGE » Texas A&M RANKING » 2nd of 25
BACKGROUND » Myles Garrett is nicknamed “Superman,” but he says his favorite superhero is The Flash. He writes poetry and is so fascinated by dinosaurs that he nearly went to Ohio State to study paleontology.
Garrett was the unanimous choice as the best player in the 2017 draft, and for once fortune was smiling on the woeful Browns. They had the first pick for the first time since 2000 and Garrett plays a position the Browns desperately need to improve.
A now infamous video of Garrett pleading with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to trade with the Browns for the first pick in the draft did not faze Browns EVP of Football Operations Sashi Brown from selecting Garrett. Garrett is from Arlington, a short field goal from Dallas, so the video was about Garret wanting to play for his favorite team. It wasn’t about ripping the Browns.
“I didn’t think it would be taken so seriously,” Garrett said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I would tell the Browns I’m sorry.”
Garrett’s progress was stunted by an ankle injury
and a foot injury in OTAs and minicamp, but he is healthy and ready for training camp.
WHY GARRETT IS RANKED SECOND » This is a reputation ranking, and no apologies. If Garrett comes close to matching his pre-draft hype he will help transform the Browns defense from one of the worst in the league to one opponents will have to respect.
COLLEGE RECAP » Garrett started 30 of 36 games in three years at Texas A&M. He had 11.5 sacks as a freshman, 12.5 as a sophomore and 8.5 last year while being touted as the best player in the 2017 draft throughout the 2016 college season. Garrett’s numbers dropped in his junior year; he missed two games with an ankle injury and was less than 100 percent the second half of the season. That led to a criticism: “Logs a lot of snaps, leading to him taking some plays off,” the scouting report from Pro Football Focus said.
WHY GARRETT IS IMPORTANT TO 2017 » The Browns finished 2016 with 26 sacks and ranked 29th in sacks per pass play. A lack of pressure on the quarterback is a major reason the Browns were torched for 36 touchdown passes last year.
“Freakish athleticism and body control for his size,” Pro Football Focus wrote in its scouting report on Garrett. “Sudden first step, but the quickness of his second and third steps are just as effective, using long, strong strides.”
That is why Garrett is important in 2017.
PREDICTION FOR 2017 » Garrett will start at right defensive end and finish with the most sacks for the Browns since linebacker Kamerion Wimbley had 11 as a rookie in 2006.