Whether or not he projects as one of the top three picks of the 2017 NFL Draft is a primary consideration for Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett's decision of whether to apply for early draft eligibility.
That's what the Aggies junior, one of college football's elite pass rushers, said Wednesday, according to ESPN.
Of course, feedback that specific doesn't come from the NFL Draft Advisory Committee, which evaluates underclassmen and provides them with a draft grade to give them a general idea of where they might be chosen. The NFLDAC only provides three kinds of responses to underclassmen who apply for an evaluation: first-round pick, second-round pick, or a recommendation to return to college. However, college coaches routinely gather more specific draft feedback from their NFL sources that they pass on to their top underclassmen.
Garrett (6-foot-5, 262 pounds) suffered an ankle injury against Arkansas this year that limited his effectiveness for much of the season, causing him to miss three games and parts of others. He recorded a career-low 8.5 sacks, with 4.5 of those coming against Texas-San Antonio. Still, he is a prized talent who one NFC executive described as a future All-Pro. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein has compared Garrett to former Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles DE Jevon Kearse, who recorded 74 career NFL sacks from 1999-2009.
Garrett said he has a strong idea of what his draft decision will be, but won't make it final until after Texas A&M's appearance in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State on Dec. 28. College underclassmen have until a Jan. 16 deadline to apply for early draft eligibility.
If Garrett's comment sounds familiar, it should. Michigan State defensive lineman Malik McDowell expressed the same sentiment before the season began.
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