Path to the Draft, 3/7

Yeah, I know, nothing like three-week-old draft dish. Well, as far behind as I am, I've gotta start somewhere...

* Player news.

Mike Mayock's top five outside linebackers:

Melvin Ingram, Whitney Mercilus, Andre Branch, Ronnell Lewis, Shea McClellin.

Mayock believes any or all of them could be converted to 3-4 OLB. Mayock believes Ingram will be all right in coverage from watching him on tape. Teams could be concerned about his short arms. Mayock believes Ingram is a player defensive coordinators are going to want to move around a lot.

Top five ILBs:

Luke Kuechly, Dont'a Hightower, Mychal Kendricks, Keenan Robinson, Sean Spence.

Kuechly is intelligent, packs a wallop, can find the football and cover the whole field. Moves well between the tackles, can cover sideline to sideline, moves well in coverage. Charles Davis compares him to Jerrod Mayo, actually says he'll be better.

Bad year to need a safety. Several teams franchised safeties because the draft class is so weak. (Good thing the Rams are fairly set here.)

* Pro days.

Alabama (first pro day): Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont'a Hightower worked out. Mike Mayock says Hightower looked like an “ascending first-round pick.” Looked great in position drills for his size. Great feet and fluid movement. Can rush the passer or drop into coverage. When asked if he's a three-down linebacker, Hightower replied, “I'm a four-down linebacker, I can play special teams, too.” Davis, who showered praise on Luke Kuechly earlier in the show, called Hightower a bigger version.

Kirkpatrick had a good workout. Didn't run again even though he ran 4.51 at Combine. Press-coverage teams will like him for his “length.” RamView would like to remind everyone that a person doesn't have “length” unless they are lying down. Doesn't appear to have played a lot of man coverage, but that's not likely to hurt him. Good chance he goes in top 15, according to Casserly and Davis.

De'Quan Menzie improved his 4.74 Combine 40 time by at least a tenth of a second. Known for loving slow safeties with poor skills, Mayock projects him as a late-round “steal.”

Mayock still having difficulty using a top ten pick on any running back. Trent Richardson is a top ten talent, but Mayock says he won't go there. Speculates that he'll be around in the teens. WRONG

Mark Barron very physical, used more like a linebacker at 'Bama. Compared to Eric Berry or Earl Thomas, has less range and man-to-man cover ability. Excellent (top 20) prospect nonetheless. Will not work out until later in the month.

* USC

Outstanding workout for Matt Kalil, showed excellent all-around athleticism. Looked great in run-blocking drills, got out quickly as a lead blocker, gets to the second level well. Continues to affirm his status as draft's top left tackle and a top-five overall prospect. Got the day off after about twenty minutes of position drills, so teams are obviously satisfied with what they see out of him. Charlie Casserly considers Kalil more of a top-ten prospect than a top-five, but a safe pick he fully expects to go at #3. Rates him somewhere between Joe Thomas and Trent Richardson in recent drafts.

Nick Perry, seen by most teams as a 4-3 DE, did linebacker drills as well. Bucky Brooks questioned his ability to change direction and play in space, especially if teams are looking at him as a 3-4 OLB. Has a great motor and should be a productive pass-rusher as a 4-3 DE, though. NFL Network analysts rank him in the Mayock Zone, that area at the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round where every draft analyst seems to believe a hundred players are going to be drafted.

* Illinois

Whitney Mercilus had an excellent pro day by all accounts. Athletic and “long”, (did Mayock get hold of a lot of tape of Jay Bilas in the offseason?) similar to Andre Branch, should be drafted in the Mayock Zone. Excellent movement skills could move him up in the draft, concerns he only produced one year in college could move him down.

* Clemson (preview): Clemson's pro day will be major for Dwayne Allen because you can't be a finesse tight end and run a 4.9 like he did at the Combine. Has to have an excellent pro day. Also critical for Andre Branch, who's going to have to show he can do the outside linebacker skills to go along with his natural pass-rush skills. Coty Sensabaugh has intrigued scouts because of his good 40 time at the Combine. Mike Mayock is eager to see how well he moves at his pro day. (I can already tell you it'll be good from watching him during Combine coverage.)

Paul Burmeister ends the show by referring to Iowa WR "Marvin McNuts". McNuts will be considered a solid midround-candidate by teams hoping to increase jersey sales to 11-year-olds.

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