The Browns, impressively, did not screw up their draft, taking DE Myles Garrett with the first overall pick. But offseason activities have barely begun and already there may be reason to worry.
Garrett left minicamp practice yesterday with a non-contact injury to what appeared to be his foot or his ankle, and there’s fear it’s the same ankle he hurt last September and affected him his entire junior year, leading to missed games and career-low stats.
Garrett was working with the backup defense during a two-minute drill. He got off the line quickly and beat the right tackle as he rushed quarterback Brock Osweiler. The play was whistled for a sack, but Garrett landed on his left foot after he had extended toward Osweiler.
He immediately went to the ground, kneeling with his head on the ground. Trainers checked him and he limped to the sidelines, where he again had his left foot checked without his shoe.
Garrett did not return to practice, and when coach Hue Jackson addressed the media after the session, he had no further information beyond saying Garrett was going to get it checked out. As of this morning the Browns haven’t provided an update.
The potentially good news is that Garrett did not leave the sideline, and that when practice moved inside due to lightning, Garrett limped there without aid. “I think that’s a good sign, you know?” Jackson asked rhetorically. “Hopefully everything’s OK. We know those things happen.”
The potentially bad news is that Garrett’s left ankle may still be an issue, nine months on. At Texas A&M, Garrett suffered a high-ankle sprain when he was cut-blocked in a game against Arkansas. He would appear in just 10 games in his last college season, recording 33 tackles and 8.5 sacks—both fine numbers, but both lows for his time as an Aggie. Garrett also missed time at Browns OTAs last month with what Cleveland.com reported as a sore foot.
There are six weeks until training camp begins, so Garrett has time to rest. But I bet the Browns would’ve been happier if all the rest he had this winter and spring had been enough to heal up.