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Garrett could be sure thing for Browns at No. 1
By MIKE McLAIN
There shouldn’t be any suspense surrounding what the Cleveland Browns do with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
Right?
Well, these are the Browns we’re talking about. This is a franchise that in recent years used first-round picks on Johnny Manziel, Justin Gilbert, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Barkevious Mingo and Phil Taylor, a group that could fill an entire Jeopardy question column on NFL draft busts.
So when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell strides to the podium Thursday to announce the first pick, there’s always the chance the Browns will make the moment suspenseful, if for no reason other than dangling the pick as trade bait. Without a good offer, the choice should be easy — Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett. Among the ever-growing list of mock drafts, Garrett sits at the top on most of them, with a few exceptions in which a quarterback is the projection.
Garrett has the look and the measurables that will make Mel Kiper Jr. shout out a few “super blue-chippers,” including a 4.64 in the 40. In the hybrid world of the edge position, Garrett can line up as a 4-3 end or an outside linebacker in a 3-4.
The Browns simply need to figure out if Garrett has the impact skills to be a dominant defender capable of killing drives with a steady diet of pressures and sacks. Garrett, not surprisingly, thinks he brings those attributes to the table.
“You have to be a game-changer,” Garrett said at the NFL combine. “You have to be able to turn the tide of a game at any given time. Somebody who, when it’s third-and-15 and maybe it’s the fourth quarter and we need a stop to get the ball back, they put you in and say, ‘You’re the guy.’ That’s how good you have to be.”
Garrett was a dominant force in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He registered 52 tackles in ’14 and 59 in ’15, including 11.5 sacks both seasons. The numbers slipped to 33 tackles and 8.5 sacks last season, but he graded out better against the run than in the previous years.
Garrett’s play was limited at times last season due to a high ankle sprain. In games late in the season he appeared to play to not get hurt, which dropped his production.
Still, the production early in his college career will make it hard for the Browns to pass on him. He showed a variety of pass-rush moves, winning 20 times on the outside, 20 times on the inside and 10 times on bull rushes.
Garrett jokingly posted a tweet about wanting to play for the Dallas Cowboys. While that would be a dream scenario for him, he’s OK with a trip north to Cleveland.
“I feel like I’m going to bring some work ethic into practice and into the weight room that will change things around there, and maybe be a voice of leadership that can help swing things,” he said.
The top interior lineman is Alabama’s Jonathan Allen, who returned for his senior season after the Crimson Tide won the 2015 national championship. Allen was determined to silence critics that didn’t think he was an every-down player.
“One of the biggest things was I was being listed as a third-down player, and that kind of bothered me and put a chip on my shoulder,” Allen said. “I wanted to come back and prove I could do both and do them effectively.”
Allen proved that he is an every-down player last season, playing the run well on the inside and exhibiting the skill to pass rush from the edge or the interior. He had 69 tackles and 10.5 sacks. Scouts love his quickness and the way he uses his hands.
Allen has been diagnosed with arthritis in his shoulders. It’s doubtful he’ll drop far, if at all, because of that concern.
“The shoulder feels good,” Allen said. “Every doctor said if there’s a problem, it is way after football.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t expect James Harrison to maintain his level of play for much longer. Derek Barnett of Tennessee will likely be gone, but Michigan’s Taco Charlton is a player that would fit into the Steelers’ scheme.
Tackle Malik McDowell of Michigan State could be a late first-round pick.