Panthers’ undrafted pickup Keyarris Garrett: ‘I was the best wide receiver’ in draft

10:36 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Keyarris Garrett was the best wide receiver in the April NFL draft.

Don’t believe it? Just ask him.

“I say that all the time,” Garrett said this past weekend at the Carolina Panthers rookie minicamp. “That’s just how I feel. I had the best numbers out of any of the receivers. My numbers don’t lie.

“That’s why I felt like I was the best wide receiver.”

Here’s the punchline, although it isn’t funny to the 6-foot-3, 220-pounds Tulsa star.

Garrett wasn’t drafted. The Panthers signed him as an undrafted free agent.

Some would argue Garrett wasn’t even Carolina’s top undrafted free agent signing, giving the nod to Duke safety/linebacker Jeremy Cash.

Garrett doesn’t know about that. But he’ll flat out tell you there’s no way the 34 receivers selected in the draft — including four in the first round — were better than him.

Keyarris Garrett put up big numbers at Tulsa and believes he should have been drafted. AP Photo/John Minchillo

“Oh, yes,” he said. “If you look at the stats.”

Garrett’s 1,588 receiving yards on 96 catches led the nation. But if you consider receiving yards the measuring stick for being drafted, then the top six receivers in college football last season were snubbed.

Baylor’s Corey Coleman, the first receiver taken at No. 15 by Cleveland, ranked ninth in receiving yards with 1,363. He also had 22 fewer catches than Garrett.

“I haven’t gotten like a really good reason as to why I wasn’t drafted,” Garrett said. “I have no idea. I’m not really concerned about that anymore. That’s in the past.”

Garrett may say it’s in the past. But in the same breath he’ll tell you his goal is to “prove to coaches that I should have been drafted.”

Carolina …

continue reading in source espn.go.com