INDIANAPOLIS — Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett said on Saturday he'd prove why he was the best player in this year's NFL Draft class.
So far, he's walked the talk here at the league's annual scouting combine.
Garrett clocked a 4.64-second 40-yard dash on Sunday, a remarkable feat when you consider he's 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds.
It's just one of several impressive data points. The others:
Bench press: 33 reps
Vertical jump: 41 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 8 inches
So what's it all mean?
For context, Garrett is taller than Julio Jones, heavier than Rob Gronkowski, quicker than Devonta Freeman and faster than Jarvis Landry, according to the NFL Media Research Group. Garrett, considered almost unanimously as the best player here by analysts, is also showing why he's so highly thought of and why he could have an immediate impact on whatever team drafts him come April.
Only Temple's Haasan Reddick (4.52), Kansas State's Jordan Willis (4.53), UCLA's Takkarist McKinley (4.59), and Youngstown State's Derek Rivers (4.61) ran faster 40 times. None are as big or as strong as Garrett.
Garrett's bench press was tied for the second-most by any player in the group, as only Auburn's Carl Lawson put up more at 35 reps.
While teams, including the Browns, will look at these figures as pieces to a larger puzzle, Garrett has proved his worth as an athlete this week. Whether or not Cleveland, owners of the first and 12th overall picks, make him the first player off the board remains to be seen.
Garrett, asked why he'd be worthy of such a distinction, said he's a game-changer.
"You've got to be able to turn the tide of the game at any given time," he said. "I'm somebody who, when it's 3rd-and-15 and maybe it's the fourth quarter and we need a stop to get the ball back, they put you in and say, 'You're the guy.' That's how good you have to be."
