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Let's use today's 2013 NFL Draft prospect profile to look at highest ranked, unprofiled player. left -- DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo from the LSU Tigers. Mingo has enticing athleticism and length that makes him an appealing player to NFL teams, even though he might not necessarily be the greatest fit for every team.
[Complete SB Nation Draft Coverage]
Pros
Mingo has a long frame (listed at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds) and is very explosive off the snap, which gives him a ton of potential as a pass rusher at the next level. Elite athleticism is a term that is thrown around a lot with Mingo and it is easy to see why -- he is a freak athlete. The biggest thing with MIngo is his first step and his straight line speed, both which are terrific for front seven players. Does a good job of batting passes out of the air. P-0-T-E-N-T-I-A-L
[Big Blue View 2013 NFL Draft Big Board]
Cons
Mingo doesn't have great football instincts and is not a player who has done well when teams run at him. Mingo needs to get stronger if he wants to be an asset against the run, or if teams want him to play defensive end. Mingo blows away people with his raw abilities,but he has no idea what he's doing as a pass rusher. Mingo's lack of production for a guy with physical ability is concerning. He was better in 2011 than 2012, which always personally worries me.
Player comparison: Bruce Irvin (CBSsports), Dwight Freeney (nflmocks), DeMarcus Ware (NFL.com)
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Does He Fit With The Giants?
Well, his name is Barkevious Mingo, which is difficult to pronounce, so the Giants must be interested (and if he does backflips he'll definitely be the pick), but right now Mingo is not suited to play 4-3 defensive end. But if you watch him on field or just look at a picture of him you see a very long player who has the frame to develop into a powerful man. Mingo could add 15-20 pounds (maybe more over time) to get up to the 260-270 range and be a better all-around player. The day he enters the NFL, though, he'll be a pass-rush specialist and a good one at that. The Bruce Irvin comparison makes sense in what I expect Mingo to be able to do as a rookie, but Mingo is even longer than Irvin, giving him more potential upside.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
CBS Sports-9th
Mocking the Draft-14th
Big Blue View Board-14th
Final Thought
Russ Lande's (National Football Post) ranking of Mingo as the 66th best player in the draft is actually not unfair if you take into consideration only what Mingo is today and what he was for LSU in 2012, but Mingo has elite NFL physical abilities, which is rare. All NFL players are world-class athletes, but Mingo is in the elite of the world class athletes. There are only a handful of guys who enter the draft every year as elite NFL-caliber athletes. Some of these guys become All-Pro (DeMarcus Ware, JPP) players and others bust right out of the league (Vernon Gholson, Troy Williamson) even though some were super productive in college while others are not. It's the nature of the beast, and it is what makes scouting an art and not a science.
What separates the physical freaks who become All-Pros from the ones who bust? That is the million-dollar question (is it coaching, desire, player's happiness in home life...etc) and some team is hoping they have the answer when they select Mingo in first round of the NFL Draft because he can easily be a star, but he could also end up being a situational pass rusher for his career.
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