Q and A with Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft: Is Vontaze Burfict a Fit for the Eagles?

Each week Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft and I have a Q and A. This week I asked Dan about the Combine, Vontaze Burfict, Mark Barron’s injury and more.

Be sure to check out Dan on twitter @Mockingthedraft and stop on over at mocking the draft (after you visit here of course)

1). You asked me a few players who needed to have a big combine, who are some players you think WILL have a big combine and, put fans who might not be familiar with players on notice?

Ron Brooks of LSU could have a Demarcus Van Dyke-like showing. He’s an intriguing guy if only because he was stuck behind a bunch of stars in the LSU secondary. If people don’t know who Chandler Jones is by now, they will after next week. Notre Dame LB Darius Fleming could also do well for himself.

2). There is no denying Vontaz Burfict’s talent, but are there some teams you think he’d either be a great fit or a bad fit for?

People have been putting him with Pittsburgh, but I don’t see it. They require discipline and smarts to play linebacker. That’s a bad fit. Philadelphia in the second round is intriguing. They have an extra second and may take a chance on Burfict with that pick.

3). Back to the combine who are some players combines we should just ignore?

(Dan is correct I did mean-good players whose performance is not indicative of their abilities on the field)

I guess the guys who choose to not work out or throw, run or catch. None of it should be ignored. It’s not the biggest piece of the puzzle, but it’s still a piece. If you mean good players who may not test well, I’d say Dont’a Hightower of Alabama. He’s not a superstar athlete, but he should still be drafted in round one.

4). What kind of damage does Mark Barron’s injury do to his stock?

Not a lot only because the safety class is so poor. He’ll probably slip some (maybe into the second round), but he’ll still be the first safety drafted. If this were a different year, he might fall down to the second or third safety drafted. But he’s so much better than guys like Markelle Martin and Harrison Smith that he’ll go early round two at the latest.

5). The N.F.L. is notoriously a copy cat league, the Giants won the Superbowl with the worst running attack in the league. Will that have any impact on the draft?

The devaluing of running backs in the NFL is pretty evident at this point. Trent Richardson should still be a top 10 pick, but he may be the only running back drafted in the first round. The position can’t just be discounted, though. The Giants’ running game may have been bad, but everyone knows Ahmad Bradshaw is a solid running back and Brandon Jacobs can be good at times (though those times are becoming more rare). But it’s not like the Giants had at running back what the Ravens had at quarterback when they won the Super Bowl. The position still needs to be a factor, but not as great of one when you have a good/great passing game. The Browns, Seahawks, Redskins and others need a strong running game. The Giants, Patriots and Packers don’t.

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