Former Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett was already considered the favorite to be the first overall pick in the draft, and his performance at the Scouting Combine only served to improve his position.
Garrett showed that he’s big, strong, fast and explosive, and has the athletic makeup of a great NFL pass rusher.
At 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds, Garrett has the size. With 33 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, he also has the strength: That was the second-best bench press performance of any defensive lineman. (Garrett’s 35.25-inch arms are longer than most defensive linemen, and sometimes players with long arms struggle on the bench press. Not Garrett.)
Garrett’s 4.64-second 40-yard dash was good, and his 1.63-second time in the first 10 yards may impress scouts even more, as a fast start matters more for a defensive lineman than straightaway speed. Garrett’s 41-inch vertical jump was the best of any defensive lineman, and his 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump was the second-best of any defensive lineman.
Put it all together, and it appears that Garrett is the first pick. Things can change, and it’s still possible that the Browns could fall in love with a quarterback or trade the first overall pick to another team that falls in love with a quarterback, but right now it looks like Garrett is going to Cleveland.
