ESPN analyst has interesting ranking of top SEC defensive linemen
ESPN analyst and former LSU defensive lineman Booger McFarland tweeted his ranking of the top five defensive linemen within the SEC.
top 5 D line n SEC
1 J Allen
2 Cox Jr
3 C Harris
4 M Garrett
5 D GodcheauxGarrett doesn't play the run.
M Haynes was next up
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) August 16, 2016
Perhaps a surprise (and shock) to some, Texas A&M dynamic rusher Myles Garrett saw himself outside of the top three.
Through two seasons, the 6-foot-5, 262-pound athlete has registered 24.0 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. McFarland ultimately didn’t think Garrett was deserving of the top spot — even if Garrett looks like a sure-fire top pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. As McFarland tweeted, “Garrett doesn’t play the run.”
Garrett finished fourth — behind Alabama rusher Jonathan Allen, Florida defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., and Mizzou defender Charles Harris. Finishing fifth was LSU defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, and the “alternate” is Ole Miss end Marquis Haynes.
Perhaps equally surprising is the exclusion of Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett. Regarded as Butch Jones’s best rusher, Barnett has accrued 20 sacks in only two years of play.
After receiving some backlash from Vol fans, McFarland sent this tweet out:
little ticked at the #VFL family ..Of all people I've been picking tenn last year & this year to win east , Barnett is good, not in my top 6
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) August 17, 2016