Myles Garrett carries himself with confidence, as a No. 1 overall pick should.
If the Browns pass him up at No. 1, he’ll carry a grudge, too.
The former Texas A&M pass rusher and likely top draft choice on April 27 looks to help lead a turnaround of the Browns’ organization. If not given the chance, the defender says he’ll take offense, his comments part of a revealing look into Garrett’s personality and approach in advance of this month’s draft.
Garrett covered a number of topics in a recent Q&A article, which will appear in the April 24 issue of ESPN The Magazine. Among them, he vowed to “punish” the Browns if passed up, as he looks to “exceed” Jerry Rice in becoming regarded as “the greatest that ever played, regardless of position or era.”
The 21-year-old described a recent dinner with Hue Jackson during which the Browns coach said he’d be “happy to take me.”
Garrett said in the article the Browns should “because I’ll be a difference maker from day one. And I’m not gonna be in any trouble. I’m just gonna make plays and bring a good atmosphere to your organization. And I’m gonna start winning and winning now.
“And because if you don’t draft me No. 1, I will punish your team for the next 10 to 12 years. I’ll knock your QB out of the game every time we play you, and I’ll have to kick the hell out of No. 1, whoever it is.”
Ultimately, these words are mere fodder.
The Browns have heard similar self-assurances, drafting Johnny Manziel in 2014 after he reportedly sent a text message to then-quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains, vowing that, if selected, the two parties would “wreck this league together.”
They kind of did, depending on your definition of “wreck.”
There seems less naivety and more healthy confidence in Garrett’s comments. And really, his remarks are best digested in the context of the entire interview, whose topics include Garrett’s interest in poetry and paleontology. He said that his shortcoming is shyness in social situations, being especially uncomfortable in group settings.
Garrett also acknowledged the Cowboys are his “hometown team,” hence his asking owner Jerry Jones to select him in a February video.
“But when push comes to shove, I want to go No. 1,” Garrett said. “I don’t want trades, wondering where my fate lies. Whoever has the first pick, just go ahead and take me. I have no allegiance. I want to go No. 1.”
If not No. 1, he wants the team that passes on him to pay.