That Fleeting Dream: When the Cowboys Were Linked to Myles Garrett

Ah, draft season. There's truly nothing quite like it in the NFL calendar, is there? It’s a time when hope springs eternal, fueled by endless scouting reports, mock drafts, and, let’s be honest, a good dose of wishful thinking from us, the fans. Every year, certain players emerge as these almost mythical figures, talents so undeniable they transcend team loyalties. Myles Garrett, the explosive defensive end out of Texas A&M, was absolutely one of those players leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft.

It feels like just yesterday, doesn't it? The sheer anticipation surrounding Garrett was palpable. Here was a guy, a legitimate athletic freak, who could bend, burst, and flat-out dominate offensive linemen. His college tape was just jaw-dropping – a blur of speed and power, consistently disrupting plays and making quarterbacks uncomfortable. He was, without a doubt, a generational talent, the kind you only see every few years.

And naturally, given his Texas roots, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves, almost inevitably, tangled in the speculative web of 'what if.' You see, the Cowboys, for all their offensive firepower in recent memory, have always had a deep, almost primal desire for a game-wrecking pass rusher. We've seen glimmers, sure, but a truly consistent, dominant force off the edge? That’s been the holy grail for what feels like ages.

So, when you had a talent like Garrett, a Texas kid no less, making waves, the connection was almost too obvious not to make. Imagine him in that star, right? Lining up opposite some of our other promising young defenders, bringing that immediate, undeniable pressure. It was a beautiful, albeit fleeting, vision for many a Cowboys fan, a delightful fantasy that briefly consumed the airwaves and online forums.

But then, reality, as it so often does, came knocking. Let's be perfectly clear: Myles Garrett was never truly a realistic option for the Cowboys. He was a lock for the number one overall pick, maybe two or three at the absolute lowest. The Cleveland Browns, holding that coveted first selection, had their sights firmly set on him, and frankly, who could blame them? The Cowboys, meanwhile, were picking much, much later in the first round, at number 28.

The logistics of trading up for Garrett would have been nothing short of historic. We're talking multiple first-round picks, probably more, mortgaging the future in a way even Jerry Jones might have hesitated to do. It was a pipe dream, pure and simple, but one that certainly made for exciting conversations during those long weeks leading up to draft night. It reminds you how much of the draft process is about speculation, about the 'could be' rather than the 'will be.'

In the end, as we all know, Garrett went exactly where he was expected, becoming the cornerstone of the Browns' defense. And the Cowboys? Well, they went a different route, addressing other needs, as teams typically do when a top-tier talent like Garrett is so far out of reach. Still, the memory of that brief, tantalizing link lingers, a fun little anecdote from a time when, for just a moment, a generation-defining pass rusher felt almost within our grasp. It just goes to show you, the NFL Draft isn't just about who gets picked; it's about the stories, the dreams, and yes, even the beautiful impossibilities, that make the journey so compelling.