49ers Draft: The Myles Garrett Hype Train and If He Falls

Today Niner Noise is going to examine the true value for the 49ers of Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett’s claim on the No. 1 spot in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett has spent the past several months comfortably perched atop the football world’s draft boards. The main point of non-consensus chatter has been who sits behind him with the 49ers at No. 2.

There has even been talk of placing the dysfunction tag on the Cleveland Browns if they elect not to select him with the No. 1 pick, unless they found a trade partner willing to “mortgage the farm” to acquire him.

This year’s draft is also considered one the deepest on defense and is stacked with talent for needy teams.

San Francisco 49ers

The highly desired edge rusher is often vaulted to the front of the pack alongside quarterbacks, due to their ability to affect games if they are singularly talented enough to do so. This particular draft has a rare assembly of pass-rushing prospects, outnumbering the regular availability in drafts of the past.

Edge rushers are in high regard, but the same uncertainty comes with the position as quarterbacks when using top selections to acquire them. As with quarterbacks, analytics are prevalent more often than not. But Garrett’s analysis seems to be concentrated more on the raw athletic talent than the numbers.

Typically I am not a fan of analytics in football. Many positions do not tell the whole story of what stats and graphs have to offer. It’s not like baseball, cornerback stats do not account for not being targeted because of good coverage. Wide receiver numbers don’t account for poor quarterbacking or offensive line play.

Two of the most worthwhile positions to statistically analyze are the quarterback and pass-rusher. Many intangibles can be and should be considered when breaking down these prospects but the numbers have more to offer in comparison to most positions.

Garrett falls into this type of analysis without a doubt.