Fans cheer after Texas A&M's Myles Garrett was selected with the number one overall pick by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the 2017 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 27, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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https://scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2091386/cleveland-browns-choose-myles-garrett-first-nfl-draft Other Sport
Cleveland Browns choose Myles Garrett first in NFL draft
Texas A&M star is first defender to go first overall since Jadeveon Clowney
The screen on stage as Myles Garrett is being picked #1 overall by the Cleveland Browns at the NFL draft. Photo: AFP
The Cleveland Browns made Myles Garrett the first player chosen in the NFL draft on Thursday, the annual selection of college athletes that helps teams in America’s most popular sport top up their talent pools.
The Texas A&M University star defensive end is the first defender to go first overall since Jadeveon Clowney in 2014.
Garrett had been expected to be the top pick for some time and the Browns are hoping it won’t take him long to become an impact defensive player.
Garrett was quickly followed in the draft by the Chicago Bears trading up to choose quarterback Mitch Trubisky as the number two pick.
At 1.95 meters (six-foot-four), 123 kilograms (272 pounds), Garrett had a 4.64 40-yard dash and a 41-inch vertical jump.
Garrett has some physical similarities to Clowney, the South Carolina all star who has been dogged by minor injuries with the Houston Texans.
The Browns also have the No. 12 pick in the first round and the No. 33 and No. 52 overall picks.
Garrett chose not to attend the draft but rather spend the time watching it on television with family and friends in Dallas, Texas.
— Myles Garrett (@MylesLGarrett) April 28, 2017
“We spent a lot of time with him,” Browns vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said.
“We learned a lot about what makes him tick, what motivates him, how he spends his downtime, how he spends his time with his teammates.
“He’s an enjoyable young man, bright, competitive.”
Cleveland parted ways with quarterbacks Robert Griffin and Josh McCown in the offseason.
Some thought the Browns might address their quarterback problems with the first pick but the argument for a game-changing defensive end won over.
The Browns registered just 26 sacks last season and were also next-to-last in total defense.
An ankle injury slowed Garrett down in 2016 but he finished his three-year career with 32.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in 36 games.