Game changers
Myles Garrett is as good as they come in the draft, and he has plenty of company at defensive end
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. Garrett left Texas A&M after his junior year but was highly accomplished in his three years in College Station: 31 sacks, 47 tackles for losses and seven forced fumbles. He already 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. But what might be most attractive to NFL teams is how he has multiple pass rush moves in his arsenal, rare for a player coming out of college.
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 judging Thomas strictly on his stature would be a mistake; he might be one of the most versatile defensive players in this class. If teams value effort, raw strength and the ability to play all three downs and at multiple positions, Thomas will wind up as a firstround pick. Thomas had 12 sacks and 241⁄2 tackles for losses over the last two seasons at Stanford.
3. DEREK BARNETT, TENNESSEE 6-3, 259
If college production was the most important factor in scouting a player’s readiness for the NFL, Barnett would have a good case for being the best pass rusher in this draft. In three years at Tennessee, Barnett racked up 32 sacks, includ- ing 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 defensive lineman to come out of a program that routinely produces productive NFL pass rushers. Harris had 16 sacks over the last two seasons and already has a polished spin move that should translate to the NFL. Harris has the body of an outside linebacker but never played that position at Mizzou, so during the draft process 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 a combination of 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 defense and a productive career as a pass rush specialist, with 181⁄ 2 sacks over the last two seasons. The biggest question — especially for teams considering selecting him with a high pick — is if he can be a three-down player or if he can contribute only in substitution packages. Williams also will have to answer questions in the draft process about his off-field behavior, including an arrest last year 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. Charlton now must prove he can consis- tently play as he did in his 2016 breakout season. He had 91⁄2 sacks and 13 tackles for losses, impressive stats against Big Ten competition.
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 earlier leg injuries.
10. T.J. WATT, WISCONSIN 6-4, 252
Watt doesn’t have quite the physical stature of older brother J.J. Watt of the Texans, but he’s entering the draft coming off a solid, 111⁄ 2- sack final year. NFL teams might be intrigued by Watt’s bloodline, especially when they see Watt 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 in the NFL.