NFL draft: Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett worthy of No. 1 overall pick in 2017

Texas A&M has a tall order this week against No. 1 Alabama. But this could be the kind of game that, even if they lose, could vault one Aggie to No. 1 — in the 2017 NFL draft.

For all the talk of the quarterbacks who could go high in the draft, and we dissected many of them last week, there are still major questions with the ones most often projected in that range — specifically, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer (who was benched for a spell against Stanford) and Miami’s Brad Kaaya.

Yes, it was a little more than one year ago that eventual No. 1 pick Jared Goff had a five-INT game against Utah, which temporarily halted talk of him being a candidate for the top choice. And almost a year ago to the day, Carson Wentz suffered a broken wrist, which ended his regular season at North Dakota State. That was the point at which other candidates — including Laremy Tunsil, Joey Bosa, Jalen Ramsey, Ronnie Stanley and, heck, even Robert Nkemdiche — were discussed as the more likely and worthy top overall pick.

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Ultimately, Goff and Wentz went 1-2, each to teams paying heavy ransoms to trade up to that spot. So we certainly could see a QB land at the top spot, depending on which team picks first. But if there ever is a year where another position could trump that, it could be the 2017 NFL draft if Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett declares early.

A third-year junior, Garrett appears to be the complete package. Even in a season in which the 6-5, 259-pound pass rusher has been slowed by a high-ankle sprain, an injury that can linger for weeks, he has been mostly dominant. After missing the South Carolina game, Garrett returned the next week against Tennessee. Despite playing on a limited snap count, he was very disruptive with a sack, a forced fumble and even a pass breakup while dropping in coverage.

The ankle clearly has hindered him, too. NFL scouts have taken note of that toughness to play through pain, an injury that he justifiably could have say with, and it will go down as another positive check mark on a ledger that quickly is filling up. Additionally, his character appears to be very strong, which will make him an almost squeaky clean evaluation.

Let’s say, for instance, that the Cleveland Browns earn the first pick. After Browns head coach Hue Jackson’s recent glowing praise for Cody Kessler, are we sure they’re taking a QB at No. 1? Even with what appears to be a very deep group of pass rushers next year, Garrett might be worth taking first.

If you’re asking today who the best 2017 prospect is, regardless of position, it would be Garrett. He’s the surest thing available right now, and he’ll have another excellent chance to improve his résumé with a big game on Saturday against Bama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Garrett said this week he won’t reveal how healthy he is or isn’t heading into the game for competitive reasons but said he’s “good enough to play well.”

Garrett has had an extra week off to rest his ankle with the Aggies on bye, and he’ll get a stiff matchup test against Crimson Tide left tackle Cam Robinson and emerging left guard Ross Pierschbacher. As a group, the Tide have allowed 12 sacks and 23 QB hurries in seven games on 244 dropbacks, which is solid protection for a freshman quarterback. They also average 42.6 rushing attempts per game and 6.8 yards per attempt, so Garrett’s ability to defend the run will be a huge part of this matchup.

The Aggies use Garrett in a variety of spots — from a 3-technique on the guard’s outside shoulder to standing up in a 7-technique outside the tackle — but typically on the defense’s right side. He can beat opponents with power, speed and a combination of the two. There are very few holes in his game, although Garrett does occasionally stay glued on blocks sometimes (even if he’s not being pushed backward) that result in stalemates.

Robinson will offer a stiff test. He’s probably the best available tackle in what’s regarded as a poor class next spring. But Garrett also does great work inside, too — check out the UCLA and Tennessee games, where he did a lot of his damage working as a defensive tackle. Pierschbacher will have his work cut out for him, although you can bet Bama will slide its protection and help the redshirt sophomore out in those situations.

It’s not a stretch, of course, to suggest an edge defender could end up going No. 1. After all, five who fit that mold have been drafted in the top five picks over the past four drafts, with Bosa going third overall this spring and Jadeveon Clowney going first in 2014. Like former No. 2 overall pick and fellow Aggie Von Miller before him, Garrett — who might actually be more physically impressive than Miller was coming out — absolutely has the merit to be picked this high.

Bosa’s early impact with the San Diego Chargers and Clowney’s breakout season (at least in spurts) with the Houston Texans certainly won’t hurt Garrett’s chances of going No. 1. And Miller might be a 2016 league MVP candidate with the way he’s playing now, even after receiving a massive contract. At an early glance, we’d say that Garrett and Bosa have some very similar traits, and Garrett might even be a bit twitchier and versatile with the ability to drop and project to multiple fronts.

We spoke with one college scout who admitted he hadn’t done enough work on Garrett, who is still an underclassman, to this point but saw him up close this season and came away very impressed.

“I was at the UCLA game early on, and they didn’t run his way once that I recall in the first quarter, maybe even the first half,” the evaluator said. “Once or twice they used a tight end to block him but it was on an outside zone the other way, or maybe a toss sweep away from him.

“[Garrett] sets a good, hard edge. He stays home, too. Lot of guys will overrun these plays, just sniffing sacks. Even Bosa did it last year. But he’s got good discipline and awareness of the ball.”

Some of Garrett’s most impressive plays in that game didn’t earn him stats in the box score.

“Two plays I remember,” the scout said, “one was a little twist they drew up, where he collapsed the interior and drew the back, which opened up a sack for [his teammate]. The other was then [UCLA] was down in the red zone and he did a little speed bull rush, buried the tackle [NFL prospect Conor McDermott], left the back in the dust and hit the quarterback. Ball was intercepted down there [actually, the INT was dropped], so you see those plays and your imagination starts to work a little.”

One more note the scout added: “You don’t see him on the ground much. Coach [Bill] Parcells always used to judge D-lineman by how often they stayed on their feet, and [Garrett] does that very well.”

The Aggies have a very talented front, so Garrett certainly benefits from that. Defensive end Daeshon Hall is terrific, and tackles Zaycoven Henderson and Hardreck Walker do a lot of good work inside. This is one of the toughest lines in the country, no doubt.

But Garrett helps make this line special, and he’s a rare talent. The players around him shouldn’t be marked against him because the caliber of opponents the Aggies face this season. None of those opponents are stronger right now than Bama, and if Garrett can put up some more great tape — with several NFL talent evaluators expected at the game — he’ll have a great chance to be consider for top-pick honors in April.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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