Neither do OLB. Demarcus Ware is in coverage on 11% of pass plays, and he's really good at pass coverage. Plus it's not like people are drafting Mingo for an impact the year, everybody sees him as a project. http://thedctimes.com/tag/demarcus-ware-stats/
Those stats are a little funky. Between Ware and Spencer, at least one of them drops into coverage on ~40% of passing plays, assuming that they never both drop into coverage on the same play. This means that either, they blitz or don't run a 3-4 on 60% of passing plays(assuming that these stats are representative of the whole team). Not to mention, this leaves out ~40-50% of actual plays via running plays. And Ware is an exceptionally good rusher, so he's not the average 3-4 OLB(not that Mingo would be). So something doesn't add up here, and it's probably partially the blitz because Rob Ryan blitzes more often than most. Also, that leaves his height. In general, a guy who's 6'-5"-6'-8" is going to be better as a 4-3 DE. That's why Calais Campbell, Greg Hardy, and Julius Peppers are DEs and not 3-4 OLBs. I mean, this is just my opinion, I'm not saying he won't get picked as a 3-4 DE if Rex Ryan is still with the jets after this season. I'm just saying he's not going to be a very good 3-4 OLB even if he packs on weight, which he will. He does have the shot to be a taller version of Dwight Freeney, though.
It's not that he's gonna be a bust necessarily. It's that he's not going to be a good 3-4 OLB. If he's picked as a 4-3 DE and puts on some weight, I see no reason he shouldn't be a top-10 pick. I'm not saying I'm smarter than NFL scouts, but you're acting like no one in the NFL ever drafts a bust in the first round. You think no regular Joe Schmoe was saying that Russell would be a bust before the Raiders drafted him?
Let me pull the stick back out on this horse again. "If" Reid comes out this year, he will go in the first or second round. This is what scouts and coaches I know say. It doesn't take long to look at a few things to see why. Most every NFL team has 5-6 safeties on the roster, look back every year, most never start all 16 games of a season. Many teams now use a three-safety "Big Nickel" package. Last year, over half, 18 of the 28 NFL teams drafted safeties, with a few drafting both SS and FS in the same year. Remember Eric has played both FS and SS at LSU, he can also play both in the NFL. The NFL teams have sent scouts to LSU, Eric is one they have been keeping an eye on for good reason. Many teams I know are looking for help at this position. As to the Mel Kiper quote, how many times have we seen him on draft day making "that" face when a team does or does not take a player? Even Todd Mc gives him a look back at some of the things he says. Do you think NFL teams follow his talking? Kind of like Les and staff following Scout, Rivals, etc. for high school players. One of the draft guys I talked with still has Eric the #1 Jr in the DB'field class, thats counting Safeties and CB's. I'd love to see Eric back in P&G next year, can do nothing but help the Tigers. Yep vshouse, I'm selfish too.
I will gladly welcome back Reid but if he is gone he is gone and I liked what I saw out of Micah Eugene this season.
Well said. In previous seasons, I was afraid of losing a big-time defensive back, but year in and year out(with the exception of '07-'08, which I blame on the coaches) I have been pleasantly surprised. I especially like the corners we have for the future in Mills and Collins.
