Ranked at #18 in the top 40 watch list, Barkevious Mingo is probably not going to play for the Seahawks if he ends up being a first round pick. Having just drafted ‘ideal LEO’ Bruce Irvin, it’s unlikely Seattle would draft another pass rusher that early next year. Even so, he’s on the list so it’s worth reviewing the tape. LSU are carrying a lot of defensive talent next year and will remain a SEC powerhouse in 2012.
Both Mingo and Sam Montgomery are limited in terms of how they create pressure and the big question that needs to be answered is whether they’re simply effective as a duo against college lineman, or whether they can excel once separated at the next level. I don’t think either would’ve gone before Bruce Irvin this year.
I thought Mingo was the best player on the field during the national championship.
This year, Bruce Irvin will replace Raheem Brock, and next year he will replace Chris Clemons. So, who will fill the Raheem Brock role in 2013? Mingo might actually be the choice. He is an exceptional player who projects well to the Seahawks. It is difficult to believe Clemons will be re-signed. Cameron Wake, a player similar in age and performance to Clemons, just signed a ridiculous deal with the Dolphins @ 4 years/$49 million, with $20 mil guaranteed! No way will Seattle do a comparable deal with Clemons. And the franchise tag would cost $12.5 mil for a single season, again…no way. The Seahawks may very well be in the market for yet another pass rusher, given the importance of the position. A WR is the other big need, but it is an extremely lean year for WRs around where Seattle will be selecting, about #15 or 20. Probably go WR in round two.
Exactly. Pass rush will probably be a major consideration next year due to Clemons age and free agent status.
I really like Mingo. He sometimes gets stonewalled (short arms?) when engaging directly, but he’s special quick. His short area quickness might be better than Irvin’s. I also love his spin move and violent arms. Great snap recognition too. If the Seahawks are as good in 2012 as I think they’ll be, they’d be pretty lucky to have a shot at a talent like this without trading up.
‘Special quick’ is really one of the best ways to describe him. When Bark is moving on the field, you get a sense that he has more urgency than every other player out there. There are some occasions where when he dips his head and makes a move, it’s lights out. The play at t2:40 is just crazy, and there’s plenty more in that ilk.
That said, he is perhaps a good example of an edge rusher who does have issues relating to his lack of total body strength, which I believe is why he finds himself stood up on occasion rather than short arms (t0:53, 1:03, 2:20, 4:48, 6:45, 7:20, 8:11, 8:53 When comparing him to Irvin (which will probably be the starting point for many discussions of the various DE prospects throughout this next season) you can start to respect Bruce’s strength a bit more. After Seattle made the pick, many talking head analysts immediately jumped on the “he’s going to be pushed around at next level/not strong enough” rhetoric after simply reading his physical stats.
Yet when watching his tape, I found Bruce to be quite competent in pushing back a blocker one-on-one once they were locked up. This ability may be a result of his limited pass rush repertoire, as without a quality spin-move, Bruce found himself in shoving matches more often than he probably would have liked, yet gaining valuable experience while doing so. Bark’s array of moves and quality technique allow him to initiate another “move” the moment a blocker has him lined up, which I assume is what you’d like to see (t1:28, 2:03, 4:07*, 7:45) It’s not written in stone, merely something I picked up on and this is just three games. There are a few occasions where he successfully bull rushes (t3:30). But the point is, in my humble opinion, this is a guy who will at times suffer from lack of power at the point of attack.
Another weakness I noticed in Mingo during the Auburn and Miss St. games, was his propensity to run himself out of some plays. While running various quarterback runs, bubble screens and options, those offenses found ways to negate Mingo without committing a blocker. Obviously on quick read plays offenses can sometimes get away with doing that, but it’s something to keep an eye on as to whether Mingo can find ways to make an impact in those situations. On the plus side, and this will definitely help him come combine month, he looked natural dropping into coverage, staying light on his feet while keeping his head up and eyes moving. Anytime a smaller DE prospect drops into coverage, Mel Kiper slightly pisses himself.
Also, was it just me, or did Auburn have some really crappy tackles?
*At 4:06, they highlight Mingo as if he was the reason the play failed, but frankly the tackle does a great job standing him up and then moving his feet to negate Mingo’s spin and doesn’t give up any ground. The pocket collapsed from the other side.
I like what you said about Mingo having the technique to not get into pushing matches. That’s one thing that makes me excited about bruce, he doesn’t have the technique yet. Imagine what he can do once he learns.
I think what you see is what you get with Mingo. Not that that’s a bad thing.
Even if that’s true… and we don’t know if Clemons will move on… I have a hard time believing Seattle will draft another first round pass rusher of this style.
I personally like Mingo, I first saw him when I watched tape of Sam Montgomery a few months ago. I think Mingo is a much better prospect than Montgomery. He has quickness, and that spin move is impressive. When compared to Irvin he falls short with explosiveness, I see more strength in Irvin too. To me he looks Chris Clemons 2.0 with a spin move. I think he will have similar results in the nfl, probably 10-12 sacks, maybe 13. I will say he is a little more athletic than Clemons, but other than that, very similar players.
If he falls to the second, I would love to draft him, but I don’t think that will happen, and if we draft another pass rusher in the first round, I’d prefer it be a more complete player like Jarvis Jones.