Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois is having a huge season, will his draft slot correspond?

Today the fighting Illni will take on the UCLA Bruins in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. There are a fair amount of prospects to watch for in this game.

Illinois

The Top prospect in this game is the Fighting Illni’s DE Whitney Mercilus. Mercilus has had an insanely productive season this year and could see himself drafted into the first round. The question is whether or not Mercilus is as good a pro prospect as he has been a College Football player this year, and to that I’m not convinced. Whitney has a great motor and makes a lot of plays, but he lacks elite athletic ability and should be considered a DE only in the N.F.L. I think teams looking to make him in a 34 OLB will be disappointed.

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Illinois vs UCLA Bruins Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois is having a huge season, will his draft slot correspond?

This is our Whitney Mercilus scouting report. Mercilus has burst onto the scene this year and put himself in the conversations to be drafted in the first two rounds of the 2012 N.F.L. draft. For all of our other scouting reports go to our scouting report page
Measurables

6’4 265 pounds

(combine numbers to be posted when they become available)

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Whitney Mercilus Scouting Report DL Illinois Fighting Illini - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

The future is looking bright for the Detroit Lions. Mlive.com

Again the Detroit Lions draft talent over need, which some people are actually critical on? And I do not get why?  It’s a great strategy considering they are still a losing team. When your a losing team you should have open holes every where at every position, not just one certain position you have to put your sights on. That’s just not the right way to go. Going with talent over need you are more likely to get a boom rather than a bust, which the Lions have had their fair share of bust in the past. Lions will address needs via free agency and trade, but for the Draft its going to be strictly talent over need till further notice.

This draft brought a special opportunity for the Detroit Lions. Going into the draft there was a possibility that quarterbacks may have been taken early in each of the two round rounds, which could lead the Detroit Lions to a special player. Sure enough that happened with the selection of Nick Fairley, Titus Young, and Mikel LeShoure (who the Lions traded up for)

If this draft is another solid one then the Detroit Lions could be on the brink of making the playoffs. Sky is the limit for this team. Let’s see how they did in the 2011 NFL Draft as a I grade them on each selection.

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2011 NFL Draft Grades for the Detroit Lions - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Could Prince Amukamara join his former Nebraska teammate Ndamukong Suh on the Lions? Thehasbeenssports.com

If you’re a Lions fan you should be happy with the production that the Lions had last season. 6-10 may not look good on paper, but the heart that they showed each and every single game can not be shown on paper. This years draft is very important because with another solid draft the Lions could be on the brink of making the playoffs this year.

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Detroit Lions 2011 NFL Mock Draft: Next stop playoffs? - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

SportsIllustrated.CNN.com

This is a multiple-part series that encourages readers to participate in the draft discussion. Don’t agree with my top prospects at a respective position? Tell me who should be or shouldn’t be included and why, I want to hear your opinions!

The running back position for the 2011 NFL Draft is not as deep as it has been in years past. While there will most likely be at least one prospect drafted in the first round in late April, there is a not a player at this position that has the physical ability that an Adrian Peterson or LaDainian Tomlinson did when they came into the pros. None the less, there are a couple of good backs that have the capability to be solid starters in the NFL. The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram, out of Alabama tops my list for the best three 2010 running back prospects.  Here is a breakdown of Ingram and my No. 2 and No. 3 running prospects. As always in this series, I want to hear your opinions on who you think should or shouldn’t be on this list and why.

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Take Your Pick: Best Running Back Prospects - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

image taken from thesportsbank.net

Liuget is a player that is number 46 on our own big board pre-combine, but very high on some others. I even saw an article in Sportingnews that had him as a top 10 pick, Todd McShay has mocked him to the Giants at 19th overall in the past and I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something so I went back and watched some more Liguet tape and the following is what I saw.

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2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Illinois DT Corey Liuget - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Illinoisloyalty.com

Up next in our series is a linebacker who played inside at Illinois, but is going to get a lot of looks as a potential outisde linebacker in the 4-3 and possibly even 3-4 because of his height and build. Wilson has one serious knock, which might scare some teams away and that is in 2009 he missed the entire season because of a herniated disk in his neck. That could be especially troubling for the NY Giants because that’s an injury that ended Antonio Pierce’s career and has put Mathias Kiwanuka’s comback in jeoprady (not serious jeopardy, but still a possibility).

Martez’s pure talent is undeniable though. Coming into college he was rated as the #2 DE prospect in the nation by Scout.com (according to Mocking Dan).

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Prospect Profiles: LB Martez Wilson, Illinois - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

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Updated Big Board: 2/02/11 - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

I really don’t get to involved with mocking past the 1st round but I wanted to give it a shot.  Below is what I feel could happen on day two of the 2011 NFL draft.

33. New England Patriots (Via Carolina) – Mikel Leshoure, RB Illinois
- The Pats addressed the defense in round 1 and now they steal with Leshoure.  He has the ability to be a true force in the Patriots offense.

34. Buffalo Bills – Colin Kaepernick, QB Nevada
- There are some offensive linemen still left on the board but Kaepernick represents a player with a ton of upside.  His skill set fits exactly what Head Coach Chan Gailey looks for in a quarterback.  The presence of Fitzpatrick will provide Kaepernick the time he needs to develop.

35. Cincinnati Bengals – Ryan Williams, RB Virginia Tech
- Benson is a free agent and even if he returns the Bengals need someone to give him rest.

36. Denver Broncos – Drake Nevis, DT LSU
- The Broncos defensive line is shaping up nicely with the additions of Bowers and now Nevis.

37. Cleveland Browns – Corey Liuget, DT Illinois
- The Browns are following Denver’s lead and adding Liuget will help with the pass rush.

38. Arizona Cardinals – Ben Ijalana, OT Villanova
- The Cardinals offensive line has been an issue and Ijalana has a lot of upside.

39. Tennessee Titans – Ryan Mallett, QB Arkansas
- It’s hard to believe Mallett falls to the 2nd round but here he is landing with a team I feel could pull the trigger on him in round 1.

40. Dallas Cowboys – Mike Pouncey, G/C Florida
- Dallas has issues across the offensive line and Pouncey is a versatile player that can play guard or center.  I feel he has the athletic ability to possible bounce outside and play tackle.

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2011 NFL Mock Draft: 2nd Round - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

The Senior Bowl week has resulted in several prospects seeing a big jump in their draft stock.  This week features a few of those prospects making their debut in our mock draft.  One surprise is Ryan Mallett falling out of the 1st round mainly because I was unable to find a good fit from him.  I could see the Titans making a move for him if they go in that direction.  Check back tomorrow as we mock the 2nd round of the draft! Please be sure to check out DCsports report for a great mock draft database.

Nick Fairley- DT- Auburn

I am firmly on-board the Nick Fairley hype train.  Fairley will be a great complement to a defensive line that features an emerging Charles Johnson.  Ron Rivera will love the way that Fairley can penetrate the pocket and wreak havoc.

Da’Quan Bowers- DE- Clemson

John Fox and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen are likely to make the switch to a 4-3 defensive scheme.  Bowers is worthy of this pick due to his ability to rush the passer but also hold strong against the run.  The duo of Bowers and Dumervil will give offensive coordinators nightmares.

Patrick Peterson- CB- LSU

There is going to be a ton of buzz following the combine after Peterson runs a stellar 40 yard dash.  Peterson is not just an athlete, he can be a true shutdown corner which is becoming increasing more valuable in the NFL.  The Bills have a lot of needs but Peterson represents the best value at this pick.  A name that will get a lot of attention at this spot will be Von Miller but the recent struggles of Aaron Maybin may stop the Bills from pulling the trigger on Miller.

AJ Green- WR- Georgia

It appears more and more likely that both Chad Ochocinco and T.O. will not be returning which leaves a major void at the wide receiver position.  Adding Green will allow the Bengals fans to quickly forget the controversial Ochocinco.  Green has the skill level and talent to be considered for the top 0verall pick!

Blaine Gabbert- QB- Missouri

The Cardinals are desperate for a quarterback and need to go in that direction with this selection.  While I don’t feel comfortable selection any of the quarterbacks this early the Cardinals don’t have a choice.  Gabbert is the top quarterback on my board and has a ton of upside, however, he needs time to develop.  Arizona would be wise to use this selection to get their quarterback of the future and then use free agency to get a short term fix.

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Updated 2011 NFL Mock Draft: 1/31/11 - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football