Defensive lineman picked in third round looking forward to lining up next to Garrett: ‘It feels surreal’

Just the thought of playing across from Myles Garrett gave Alex Wright goosebumps.

If Garrett, the Browns’ star defensive end, texted the team’s draft pick (third round, No. 78 overall) Friday night, chances are Wright didn’t sleep.

“Probably not. I’m not even going to lie, I would be so hyped,” Wright said. “I’d be in disbelief and in shock.

“Being able to just watch him and now have the chance to play across from him is like a dream come true. It feels surreal.”

Smitten by Wright’s personality and intrigued by his size and length, the Browns used the 14th pick in the third round on the junior defensive edge from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Glenn Cook, the Browns’ vice president of player personnel, believes Wright can immediately help in the run game and could develop into an effective interior pass rusher.

Wright had 91 tackles, 19 for losses, 12½ sacks, three forced fumbles, and five passes defensed in his three seasons as a starter at UAB, where he played the edge in a 3-4 scheme. The Browns are going to try to teach Wright some of the moves used on the inside by Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, currently a free agent whom the Browns hope to resign.

“There were snapshots of it,” Cook said. “That is a part of it where you are trying to project, ‘Hey, can he do this? Can we help him grow in this area?’ I think some of the opportunities he did get to do it, he really displayed the potential, the ability, and the effectiveness as an interior pass rusher.

“We put a ton of value on being able to keep people inside, especially in some of our ends. It is pretty exciting to see if he has similar potential.”

Wright thinks he can handle it. “That was one of those things in college that I wanted to do, I wanted to try it out,” Wright said. “In practice, it was like baby steps. I was like, ‘I can do this in a game,’ and then when it showed in the game it was like, ‘I can do this, I can be more versatile, I don’t have to rush on the outside.’ I look forward to rushing on the inside.”

Also exciting the Browns is the fact that Wright stands 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds and is still growing into his body.

“He came into UAB at 210 pounds. He still has room to grow,” Cook said. “There is a lot of clay to work with there.”

Garrett will have the chance to do some of the molding.

“He might get tired of me because I am asking questions,” Wright said.

Wright grew up in Elba, Alabama, a town with a population of less than 4,000. He started playing football in the second grade, but switched to band in middle school.

“I played woodwinds … saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone. I even played clarinet … and I was pretty good,” Wright said.

As a freshman at Elba High School, Wright returned to sports, but chose basketball. It wasn’t until his sophomore year he switched to football, playing edge rusher and wide receiver. He’s still lamenting that he scored just one touchdown.

Cook said the Browns won’t expect him to be perfect right away: “What we do love about him is he is big, he is long and he is physical.

“He will definitely help us out on third down.”