Rookie Chris Garrett will be ideal teammate for LA Rams Aaron Donald

The fact of the matter is that LA Rams rookie outside linebacker Chris Garret was one of the most productive NCAA pass rushers in the 2021 NFL Draft. In fact, his 36.5 quarterback sacks over 28 games and three college football seasons were one of the most dominating performances of this millennium. And yet, the 6-foot-4 245-pound dynamo was still on the draft board for the LA Rams with the 252nd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He may even have been undrafted had the Rams not called out his name.

So why did he fall so far, while dominating offensive lines his entire collegiate career? Well, it comes down to a matter of trust. After all, Chris Garrett is just the third player from Concordia to land a spot on an NFL team. The first was wide receiver Todd Black, who was a Chicago Bear in 1987. The second was defensive end Zach Moore, who played for four different teams in four NFL seasons from 2014-2018. In terms of finding NFL stars at Concordia-St. Paul? Perhaps there was good reason to be wary.

Production was too good?

Still, that production was perhaps another reason that caused pause from NFL teams. As the old adage goes: “If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.” While this is a good rule to instill in the minds of children who haven’t the experience to measure the unforeseen risks in their decisions, it may not be the best default when selecting potential players whose production is off the charts.

Garrett accounted for 166 tackles in 28 college games. That’s nearly six tackles per game, and even without the huge number of quarterback sacks, is eye-popping in its own right. But there’s more. He forced 15 fumbles, deflected nine passes, recovered four fumbles, and even blocked a kick. But the statistic that caught my eye is 48.5 tackles for a loss, and 273 yards lost from those tackles. (we’ll talk about them more later).

The challenge in taking those numbers at face value is that if you accept them as-is, then Garrett has the potential to be an elite NFL pass rusher. And yet, there he was, almost ignored from the draft class of 2021. What was missing?