Last Is First: Packers Sign Garvin

Jonathan Garvin, the last of their nine selections in this year’s draft, was the first to sign.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have signed outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin, the last of their nine selections in this year’s draft. He is the first of the team's draft picks to sign. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Tuesday.

Garvin, the 242nd pick, recorded five sacks, nine tackles for losses and two forced fumbles among his 37 stops in 2019 as a junior at Miami. He delivered more impact plays as a sophomore, when he piled up 5.5 sacks, finished fourth in the ACC with 17 tackles for losses and broke up five passes. His three-year totals consisted of 12.5 sacks, 29 TFLs and four forced fumbles.

“Just was joyful,” Garvin said upon being drafted. “I think anybody who has a dream from childhood would be joyful, so that’s what I was. I was just jumping up and down, excited about it, trying to let everybody finish their words on the call before I started celebrating.”

Based on the NFL’s rookie system, Garvin’s deal will be four years and worth approximately $3.374 million, according to Spotrac.

Garvin (6-4 1/8, 263) had his stock sink with a 4.82 in the 40 at the Scouting Combine. He’s got 34-inch arms to take on blockers. At age 20, he’s loaded with upside, Miami assistant head coach/defensive line coach Todd Stroud said.

His mom and dad played college basketball – his father at Bethune-Cookman.

“I believe I was 9 or 10 years old,” Garvin said at the Combine. “I just kept saying, we kept saying, ‘Hey, Dad, I want to play football, I want to play football, I want to play football’ for years. And they finally broke down and let me play it, and since then I haven’t looked back.”

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