Myles Garrett: The Next Big Thing
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Myles Garrett. He’s a junior defensive end at Texas A&M, he’s 6’5” and 270 pounds, and he is currently the favorite to be the number one draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Back in the summer when I did a Pre-Season Mock Draft, I had Garrett going 3rd overall in the first round and I specifically remember saying that he could be ranked Number 1 had it not been for the heavy need of quarterbacks in the NFL. At the time, I had Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson as the number one overall pick taken by the Cleveland Browns. By the time October rolled around, it became pretty obvious. There is not a single quarterback worth taking at the number one overall spot in this year’s draft. I don’t even care if the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers have the number one pick this year and have to wait five more years to get their quarterback. Myles Garrett is the best player on the board. Period!!!
The 2014 draft is one of the main reasons why I don’t feel that quarterbacks are a big need this year. The Houston Texans had the number one overall pick and were coming off a disastrous season at 2-14 in 2013. The quarterbacks taken in the first round that year were Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, and Teddy Bridgewater (Derek Carr went in the 2nd round). None of those quarterbacks were even close to being the best player on the board. Honestly, there were two players that could’ve gone Number 1 overall that year. Obviously, the player that was picked first overall by the Texans was South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney. The other player that could’ve gone Number 1 overall actually ended up being drafted 5th overall and the team that drafted him ended up taking the best quarterback out of the draft class in the 2nd round (Derek Carr). That team was the Oakland Raiders and they drafted Buffalo OLB Khalil Mack. On November 21st, the Raiders and Texans faced off against each other in Mexico City and the game was basically a clinic performed by Clowney, Mack, and Carr. The Houston Texans currently lead the AFC South at 6-5 and the Oakland Raiders are looking like Super Bowl favorites right now at 9-2. Blake Bortles is currently playing for the 2-9 Jaguars, who have failed to make any strides this year, Johnny Manziel is currently unemployed, and Teddy Bridgewater is rehabbing a torn ACL while his team, the Minnesota Vikings, are currently sporting a 6-5 record with Sam Bradford as his replacement.
What if I told you that Myles Garrett is the best NFL draft prospect since Jadeveon Clowney and he has an opportunity to become a better pass rusher than Khalil Mack? I’m not exaggerating. Garrett’s that good. He’s the same size as Clowney and taller and bigger than Mack. Anybody that plays offensive lineman right now should be studying every move Garrett makes. He’s unblockable!!
Right there!! Where on earth did he come from?? Arizona State's offensive line basically had him secure and he just treated them like they were nothing. He is way too explosive for the quarterback to think he can run for the first down. Even though he's battling injuries this year, that should not be a concern. Three years ago, Clowney was going through the same ordeal at South Carolina. Some people doubted that he was going to be a op five pick. In order for Garrett to convince scouts that he is the best player on the board, he's going to have to excel in the upcoming bowl game and of course, the combine, which is where Clowney and Mack shined and that's what Garrett is expected to do as well when he gets his audition in front of the NFL scouts. One thing that is in Garrett's favor is competition. Any college football player in the SEC is going to face the best competition week in and week out. Heck, even in a losing effort to Alabama last month, he was still able to compile 7 total tackles. At that point in the season, that was his season high and it was against the top equivalent to an NFL offensive line he will see in his entire college career.
At 4:53, you'll see how disciplined Garrett is as well. That left tackle he is facing by the way is Cam Robinson, who is projected to be a Top Ten pick as well in this year's draft. That inside step he makes on Robinson completely shuts down the entire play. Even though he doesn't make the play, at 5:12 you can see how explosive he is as he basically gets through a double team between Robinson and left guard Lester Cotton. The pressure was just enough to force an interception from Heisman finalist, Jalen Hurts. You can also clearly see how most of the plays Alabama ran on offense were away from Garrett. That's what I envision when Garrett goes to the NFL. Teams are going to game plan against him and one of the main reasons why is what you're going to see at 10:17. Please NFL teams, do not have a running back block this man. You will regret it.
Garrett came onto the scene in the fall of 2014 as a true freshman and immediately made an impact. He even broke Clowney's SEC freshman record by compiling 11.5 sacks. If you were to compare Garrett to Clowney even more, Garrett totaled 112 tackles and 24 sacks in his freshman and sophomore seasons compared to Clowney's 90 tackles and 21 sacks his first two seasons. Garrett's 40-yard dash is 4.4 seconds, has a 39-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot, 9 and a half inch broad jump, which are all higher than Clowney's numbers at the NFL combine (4.53, 37.5", 10'4"). This man is the complete package and he is definitely the player to revolve a franchise around. Even through an injury riddled season this year, he still put up 32 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
He's an absolute freak!! The play you see at 0:52 is my favorite. It was a designed screen play by Ole Miss, but Garrett got to the quarterback within seconds and completely shut down the play and forced the turnover. That is one of my favorite things to watch about this player. He makes plays!! At 1:04, he absolutely embarrasses this Arizona State offensive lineman with his speed. Garrett's already out of his stance before the lineman even moves. That first step by Garrett was able to maneuver himself away from the lineman and quickly get to the quarterback, forcing a fumble. I cannot wait to watch this man play in the NFL. In some time, he will establish himself as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. Next football season, he is bound to make an impact as a rookie right away. Will he be breaking Jevon Kearse's rookie record of 14.5 sacks in 1999? Absolutely not, but I do see him making a run for the record. He will torture NFL offensive lines and the heads of defensive coordinators as I project him to total 45 tackles and 12 sacks next season regardless of where he ends up. Let's not guarantee that the Browns or Niners will end up with Garrett. Last season, trades occurred due to the need for the Rams and Eagles at quarterback. There will be a heavy need for quarterbacks in this year's draft as well for certain teams to trade up for the number one overall pick, but will teams look to trade up for Myles Garrett as well? I sure hope so because he will soon be a prize possession for whoever chooses to draft him this upcoming April.
