2017 NFL Draft Grades: Cleveland Browns Select Myles Garret At No. 1
Grading the 2017 NFL Draft selection of Myles Garrett by the Cleveland Browns.
With the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns made the obvious selection by taking Texas A&M edge rusher, Myles Garrett. There had been a lot of talk of North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky being an option at number one but Garrett had been the favorite since the beginning of the 2017 NFL Draft process.
Garrett is considered by most to be the obvious top prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft class. He is a fantastic natural pass rusher on the outside who had 31 career sacks in three college seasons. Garrett's best statistical season came as a sophomore in 2015, where he piled up 11.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss for the Aggies.
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One of the best natural athletes to enter the league at the defensive end position in recent memory, Garrett has an incredible natural skillset. He is a 6-4, 272 pounds with incredible length for the position. Garrett's overall speed and athleticism on the edge is off the charts, but do not discount his strength. With a great ability to convert speed into power, Garrett is an elite overall player.
He is an explosive athlete off the edge who shows incredible burst off of the snap. Garrett's ability to rush the passer with speed and power on the edge is obvious. On top of that, he is a fierce run defender at times, showing the ability to knife through the line of scrimmage and stop the ball carrier in the backfield.
The Browns went 1-15 last season and clearly have needs all across the roster. They undoubtedly need a true franchise quarterback to add to the mix, but Garrett is an elite-level player at a premium position. Passing on him would have been absolutely foolish. In this case, the obvious choice was the right one.
Myles Garrett
Defensive End, Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett is clearly the best player in the 2017 NFL Draft class. He is an incredible edge defender who will immediately take the Browns defense to the next level.
Garrett is talented enough to fit any defense, but he will particularly be a great fit for new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' system. Williams uses an aggressive 4-3 defense that will allow Garrett to pin his ears back and attack the quarterback with his hand on the ground.
Expect Garrett to make an immediate impact in Cleveland. I do not care what happens in the rest of the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett is the favorite to be the 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He is a special player who will dominate at the next level.
AFC North quarterbacks beware, the Cleveland Browns just added an elite-level pass rusher to their mix.