INDIANAPOLIS: Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is the favorite in the eyes of virtually all draft analysts to be selected first overall by the Browns on April 27, but he’s not overlooking Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Allen as a candidate for the top pick.
So Garrett performed Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine as if he’s taking nothing for granted.
“[Allen is] going for No. 1. So am I,” Garrett said Saturday at the Indiana Convention Center. “There’s not real animosity between us, but we’re vying for a spot. I got to get it.”
Although there’s also a possibility the Browns could pick a quarterback at No. 1 — Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky excelled at the combine — Garrett continued to build an incredibly strong case for himself with a stellar combine workout.
“He made the Browns’ choice a lot easier,” NFLDraftScout.com analyst Dane Brugler said at the combine. “[College game] tape is 80 percent of the evaluation. You have to have the tape, but you want the combine to match up. That’s what the combine is. It’s a big cross-checking exercise. So as long as he shows in these drills at the combine what he shows on tape, then it only confirms it. But I think Garrett even went further than that with his performance.
“He came to Indy, he said it during his press conference, ‘I’m going to show everyone why I belong at the No. 1 pick.’ Give him credit. He lived up to it. It’s exactly what he did.”
Brugler said the Browns are probably better off using the 12th overall pick to take a quarterback, even if it means trading up, than picking a quarterback at No. 1 instead of Garrett.
“You still need the quarterback,” he said. “Is there a quarterback to fall in love with to take at one? I don’t know. I think you take Garrett and if there’s a quarterback you really, really like, use 12, package a pick, go up and you get him. But don’t lose the sure thing, there’s no sure thing, but the closest thing to a sure thing. Don’t pass up Garrett.”
Garrett, 6-foot-4½ and 272 pounds, posted an official time of 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His unofficial times were 4.64 and 4.74 seconds with 10-yard splits of 1.63 and 1.69 seconds. Garrett also led all defensive lineman with a 41-inch vertical jump.
“Hello, Cleveland,” NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock said during the telecast after Garrett’s first 40.
NFL.com analyst and longtime NFL player personnel man Gil Brandt tweeted, “Myles Garrett in the 40. Everyone playing for second place. Scout behind me: ‘We can all go home now.’”
There’s buzz at the combine that new Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams loves Garrett, and the franchise had to be blown away by Garrett’s workout. Coach Hue Jackson was shown on NFL Network watching Garrett’s dazzling 40.
“I think there will be a lot of Garrett jerseys at FirstEnergy [Stadium] next year,” Brugler said.
Garrett’s 40 time is comparable to those of other defensive ends who were No. 1 picks. At 6-5¼ and 266 pounds, Jadeveon Clowney posted a time of 4.53 seconds at the 2014 combine. At 6-7 and 295 pounds, Mario Williams had a time of 4.71 seconds at the 2006 combine.
Asked about the Clowney comparison, Garrett said, “I want to be compared to the greatest. [Clowney is an] athletic freak just like me, but I’m holding my bar pretty high.”
An outstanding 40 time doesn’t automatically make a defensive end worthy of the top pick, though. At 6-4¼ and 273 pounds, Emmanuel Ogbah had a 40 time of 4.63 seconds at last year’s combine. The Browns chose him 32nd overall, and he had 5½ sacks as a rookie.
Combine workouts are not close to the most important part of an evaluation, and Allen is so impressive on tape that Mayock considers him a “safer” pick than Garrett.
Garrett’s effort and production isn’t as consistent as Allen’s, though his flashes of dominance in college and eye-opening measurables make Mayock think Garrett has “a higher ceiling.”
The fact Garrett is projected to play a more important position in the NFL than Allen is a huge factor, too. Garrett is a prototypical edge rusher, and Allen will probably be best as a defensive tackle in the NFL.
Allen, 6-2⅝ and 286 pounds, posted an official 40 time of 5.0 seconds. His unofficial times were 5.0 and 5.02 seconds with 10-yard splits of 1.74 and 1.76 seconds. The results couldn’t have met Allen’s expectations because he said Saturday a 4.7 would be a good 40 time for him.
Still, Allen’s resume shouldn’t be discarded. He listed his ability to play all positions on the defensive line and lead as his strengths.
“What I bring is a winning atmosphere, winning attitude, a leader, a guy who’s going to bust his butt every play, a guy who’s looking to come in and make an immediate impact,” Allen said.
But there is a medical concern with Allen. He’s had both of his shoulders surgically repaired. He said doctors have told him his left shoulder is arthritic but won’t cause him problems for 15-20 years. He said he has no restrictions and feels good.
However, BleacherReport.com’s Matt Miller reported scouts he’s talked to have concerns about Allen’s shoulders and feel he’ll drop to the 12-17 range of picks.
At the combine, Allen bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times, 12 times fewer than Garrett’s 33 repetitions. Allen also had a 30-inch vertical jump.
“The competitor in me wants to be the first [pick],” Allen said.
Garrett also stressed going No. 1 is important to him.
“It shows I’m top dog, at least from the beginning,” Garrett said. “Once I’m in the NFL I can’t just, you know, hang my hat on that. I have to keep on rising.”
If the combine is any indication, he has already risen to the top of the Browns’ draft board.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.