NFL Notes: Myles Garrett, 49ers, Bears, Cardinals

Myles Garrett

Matt Miller of B/R spoke to an NFL GM who mentioned that Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett is starting to pull away from the other players in this year’s draft class much like Andrew Luck did back in 2012.

A director of player personnel tells Miller that not taking is Garrett is like passing on a young Bruce Smith.

“Passing on Garrett is like passing on a young Bruce Smith,” said the director of player personnel. “You don’t pass on a kid like that.”

An NFL scout mentioned that Garrett is as close as you’re going to find to a “can’t-miss” player in this year’s draft class.

“I don’t know if there’s ever a real can’t-miss player—other than Luck—but he’s really close,” the scout said. “You just don’t see guys that big who are that fast and that strong and that fluid. He’s also a great kid and is really wired to win. You won’t have any issues with him like they did with Clowney’s injuries or Von’s drug use.”

49ers

An NFL scout tells Matt Miller of B/R that he believes the 49ers should focus on continuing to build their roster

“Why draft a QB there when there isn’t the support system to succeed? Look at [Jared] Goff vs. Dak [Prescott]. Young quarterbacks succeed when they have structure, and the 49ers lack structure,” the scout said. “Use that No. 2 pick and build a team before reaching for a quarterback.”

Bears

• An AFC GM who spoke with Matt Miller of B/R can see the Bears using their No. 3 overall pick on a quarterback this year: “I have to think Chicago goes quarterback at [pick] three. Looking at that roster and knowing Ryan Pace, quarterback fits there.“

Cardinals

Cardinals GM Steve Keim mentioned during a Friday interview that “there isn’t a day when I don’t think about” finding the team’s next quarterback.

“There isn’t a day when I don’t think about it,” Keim said, via AzCardinals.com. “To put this organization in a position to have success for a long time, there is no doubt we need to identify a franchise quarterback.

“That’s easier said than done. Very few exist. There are probably seven great quarterbacks, 10 (guys) you can win with in the NFL, and then everyone else is playing musical chairs. We have to challenge ourselves to find the next guy.”

Keim said their plan for free agency is to be aggressive but not necessarily to make a splash.

“I don’t know what you would consider ‘splash,’ but we’ll certainly be aggressive and keep our foot on the gas pedal, try to keep pushing this thing in the right direction,” Keim said. “There’s no doubt we took a step back last year. We’ve got to pick up the pieces and make some good decisions this offseason.”