The Cleveland Browns' need to shore up the quarterback position figures to be addressed at some point in the 2017 NFL Draft, but according to NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock, the No. 1 pick isn't the place to do it.
Mayock says Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is the Browns' best option with the top pick.
"If you're a Cleveland Browns fan and you've got the first overall pick, root for them to take Myles Garrett from Texas A&M. ... He's got length, he's got get-off, he's explosive off the edge," Mayock said during Saturday's NFL Network broadcast of the Reese's Senior Bowl. "This kid's got everything you want. Spin move, relentless, can set the edge against the run. At the No. 1 overall pick, if I'm the Cleveland Browns, I don't see a quarterback there, I don't want to trade down. I want to get a difference-maker right now."
Garrett (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) was certainly a difference-maker for the Aggies.
Although an ankle injury hampered him for most of his junior season, Garrett established himself as one of the elite talents in college football by the end of his sophomore year. He amassed 31.5 career sacks at Texas A&M, including a career-high 12.5 in 2015.
Mayock isn't alone in his assessment.
NFL.com analysts Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah both projected Garrett as the No. 1 pick in their initial mock drafts. Even Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, although he didn't specifically endorse Garrett for the top pick, said earlier this week that he'd like the club to spend the selection on a pass rusher.
Cleveland also holds the No. 12 pick of the draft, where it might be able to get better draft value for a quarterback. There's a long way to go before the Browns officially go on the clock for the top pick, including the NFL Scouting Combine and dozens of pro-day workouts. But the drumbeat for Garrett as the No. 1 pick already has begun, and it might only get louder.
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