Who is Myles Garrett: An NFL Draft Profile
What would Myles Garrett say about Myles Garrett?
“Game changer. Great player. You have to be aware of him at all times cause he could turn the flow of momentum. I could strike once, twice or how many times is needed. I’m a playmaker.”
He’d also say he’s definitely into dinosaurs, which is apt for a player who stalks quarterbacks like he’s eating them for breakfast.
“If I could compare myself to [any dinosaur], it would probably be a Deinonychus because he’s big, strong, fast. It will attack from all sides. It was just a hell of a creature.” More colloquially, Deinonychus was nicknamed the ‘Terrible Claw’ for its unusually large, sickle-shaped talon on the second toe of each hind foot. While you might not think that Garrett has claws of his own, you’re wrong.
Check any NFL Mock Draft out there in the football ether and you’ll find one commonality between them all: defensive end Myles Garrett going number one overall to the Cleveland Browns. But for those who don’t know Myles, allow yourself to get acquainted–cause he just might be the real deal.
Having played three years in college before electing to go pro this year, the 6’5, 272 lbs defender recorded 32.5 sacks for Texas A&M. But it’s not just his sack total that’s enticing Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns. Among other factors, it’s his speed off the line of scrimmage; the explosiveness with which he attacks the ball, as well as his tenacity of playing hard til the whistle blows. Watch his highlights on YouTube and you’ll see a pass rusher who, more often than not, beats the weak-side offensive tackle off the line. All it takes him is a quick step and he’s got the corner. Watch his combine workouts and you’ll see one of the fastest 40-times by any defensive end in the draft.
After posting a 4.64 second 40-time at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, Garrett chose to participate in Texas A&M’s pro day workout held on Thursday, March 29. There, he improved by running official 40-times of 4.57 and 4.62. He also recorded a broad jump of 10-8, and a 41-inch vertical at the Combine.
When asked of his decision to participate in the pro day, Garrett said, “[I wanted] to improve on what I’ve done. I am not satisfied with just doing well or just good. I want to be great. That’s up to my standards, not to anyone else’s.”
And that’s just the kind of player he is. Aside from his love of paleontology, and his allergy to social media, Myles Garrett is a relatively humble, dedicated individual. Of draft day, he said, “If my name is called first, I’ll probably sit there, look at my two best friends and laugh, [then] smile at my parents, give them hugs and go about eating my crawfish.”
Clearly, if the Browns pull the trigger on Garrett with the first pick they’ll be getting a player whose only goal is to be at his very best.
“I have to be prepared for wherever I go,” Garrett told ESPN.com. “If it’s the Browns, I’m going up against one of the best tackles in the league [Joe Thomas] right away. No matter where I go, I’m going to be facing many other great tackles and great players. I have to be on my toes and keep my sword sharpened, ready to go.”
Garrett was born in Arlington, Texas to Audrey and Lawrence Garrett. The youngest sibling to two athletes, Myles took quickly to sports. Before Texas A&M, he attended Martin High School, where he was a letterman in football, basketball and track. Garrett was a five-star recruit by Rivals.com and was ranked as the second best overall player in his class. At A&M, he has pursued his undergraduate degree in Global Arts, Planning, Design and Construction in the College of Architecture. He also has minors in business administration and geology. His older sister, Brea Garrett, was a NCAA Champion thrower for the A&M track and field team. His older brother, Sean Williams, has played for several NBA teams and currently plays basketball overseas.
Garrett was a consensus All-American selection in 2016, as well as a finalist for the Bednarik Award, which goes to the top defensive player in the country. He was also named as a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi award his sophomore and junior seasons, as well as being awarded the Bill Willis Award winner as the top defensive lineman in 2015. In his last season, Garrett missed two games with a lower leg injury but still managed to tally 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
More than just a student-athlete, Garrett has demonstrated himself as a leader in his community. At A&M, he was active in Aggies Athletes Involved (AAI) and regularly spoke to young people at various schools in his area. He has also served as a volunteer at the Twin City Mission, serving meals to needy families and doing landscape work around the facility.
The NFL Draft kicks off on April 28 at 8 pm ET with the Cleveland Browns holding the number one overall pick. As he said, Myles plans to watch the draft from his family home in Arlington. Radio City will have to do without him.
