Barkevious Mingo DE LSU #49
Wt: 241
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Size/Athleticism: Incredible athleticism. Height is only average which hurts him slightly. His strength is very average, which is a key reason why he’s a liability against the run. If he’s going to be a three-down lineman, he needs to add about 10 pounds of muscle.
Run Defense: A liability against the run. Weak at the point of attack. Susceptible to draws because he almost exclusively blitzes off the edge and offensive linemen can dictate the direction he takes. Used almost exclusively as a pass-rusher at LSU, so his experience against the run is limited. He lacks the upper body strength to consistently shed blocks. Effort is never an issue, it’s just a matter of not having the strength to get the job done. When he recognizes the run he does tend to take proper angles in pursuit, and does a nice job fighting through traffic.
Pass Rush: Elite explosion off the snap. Can fly past slow-footed offensive tackles and get into the backfield before the quarterback has time to react. But can also be overaggressive at times. Offenses can manipulate him on draws and screens because he flies into the backfield and full speed on every play. Needs to become a more well-rounded player, rather than a guy whose sole focus is the quarterback. Can be stonewalled by more physical offensive linemen once they engage him. Below average strength and has almost no leverage as a bull rusher. Consistently gets his arms up into passing lanes.
Versatility: Primarily lined up at defensive end, but may be better suited for linebacker in a 3-4. Very little experience dropping into coverage.
Intangibles: Limited experience and production. Shows tons of potential, but was only part of the rotation at LSU and his production was modest at best. A player with legitimate top-10 skills should have been more dominant than he was in college.
Durability: No known issues.
Comments: Mingo will immediately be a force as a pass-rusher, but he won’t be a three-down player early in his career. And it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever become that type of player. However, in today’s NFL teams need pass-rushers more than ever and even if he’s only going to play 60-70 percent of his teams’ snaps. Bruce Irvin played just under 50 percent of the Seahawks defensive snaps as a rookie, and that’s about what we should expect from Mingo early in his career. If he develops into a more well-rounded player, that’s great, but I wouldn’t rely on him for anything more than an elite pass-rush specialist.
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