USA TODAY International Edition
Pass rusher Garrett checks all boxes
As the NFL draft nears, a breakdown of the edge rusher ( defensive end and 3- 4 outside linebacker) class.
1. MYLES GARRETT, TEXAS A& M
6- 4, 272
Garrett is widely considered to be the best overall player in this draft and the front- runner to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns. He left A& M after his junior year but was highly accomplished in his three years: 31 sacks, 47 tackles for losses and seven forced fumbles. He has the size that NFL evaluators love, and he should be able to start right away as an edge rusher in a 4- 3 ( with his hand in the ground) or a 3- 4 ( stand- up linebacker) immediately. What might be most attractive to NFL teams is how he has multiple pass rush moves in his arsenal.
2. SOLOMON THOMAS, STANFORD
6- 3, 273
The criticism of Thomas, the Pac- 12’ s defensive player of the year in 2016, heading into the draft is he doesn’t fit the ideal profile of an edge rusher or an interior lineman. But if teams value effort, raw strength and the ability to play all three downs and at multiple positions, Thomas will wind up as a first- round pick. Thomas had 12 sacks and 241⁄ 2 tackles for losses over the last two seasons.
3. DEREK BARNETT, TENNESSEE
6- 3, 259
In three years, Barnett racked up 32 sacks, including 13 last year. He also had 52 tackles for losses, showing his effectiveness as a run defender. Barnett’s strength is the way he uses his hands, a skill many players lack when they enter the NFL.
4. CHARLES HARRIS, MISSOURI
6- 3, 253
Harris is the latest D- lineman to come out of a program that routinely produces productive NFL pass rushers. He had 16 sacks over the last two seasons and has a polished spin move. Harris has the body of an outside linebacker but never played that position, so he will need to show teams he can rush the quarterback from a stand- up position.
5. TAKKARIST MCKINLEY, UCLA
6- 2, 250
McKinley enters the draft after a huge junior year, when he recorded 10 sacks and 18 tackles for losses through effort and athleticism. McKinley had surgery on his shoulder after the combine that will keep him sidelined until the start of training camp.
6. TIM WILLIAMS, ALABAMA
6- 4, 252
Williams has prototypical size for an outside linebacker in a 3- 4 and a productive career as a pass rush specialist, with 181⁄ sacks 2 over the last two seasons. The biggest question is if he can be a three- down player or if he can contribute only in substitution packages. He also will have to answer questions about his off- field behavior, including an arrest on a misdemeanor gun charge.
7. DEMARCUS WALKER, FLORIDA STATE
6- 4, 280
Walker’s 16 sacks in 2016 were second most in the Bowl Championship Subdivision last year. He needs to show he can continue that production against bigger and stronger tackles. Walker projects as a prototypical 4- 3 defensive end.
8. TACO CHARLTON, MICHIGAN
6- 6, 272
Charlton is one of the most physically intriguing pass rushers in this draft, with an uncommon height- speed combination. He must prove he can consistently play as he did in his 2016 breakout season. He had 91⁄ sacks and 2 13 tackles for losses.
9. CARL LAWSON, AUBURN
6- 2, 260
Lawson proved in 2016 he could stay healthy ( after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2014 and a hip flexor injury in 2015), and a solid final season has him on the verge of the first round. He had nine sacks and showed he was still strong and fast, despite his leg injuries.
10. T. J. WATT, WISCONSIN
6- 4, 252
Watt doesn’t have quite the physical stature of brother J. J. Watt of the Texans, but he’s coming off a solid, 111⁄ 2- sack final year. Teams might be intrigued by Watt’s bloodline, especially when they see he has the same sort of relentless motor that has made J. J. one of the best players in the NFL. The youngest Watt might have to bulk up.