NFL Mock Draft 2013: New Orleans Saints Select Barkevious Mingo

Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Barkevious Mingo still available for the Saints to take with the 15th overall pick in our mock draft. So I did the smart thing and scooped him up.

Mingo is arguably the best player available at this point in our mock draft. For that reason alone, this is a smart pick with top value. Perhaps you could make an argument for Jarvis Jones here but I'm just not sold. Besides, the dude is from Louisiana and his name is freakin' Barkevious.

But I wouldn't get your hopes up, Saints fans, because the likelihood of Mingo falling this far is very low.

Here's what all the experts are saying about Mingo.

Strengths

NFL.com

Tall, long and explosive pass rusher who projects best as a stand-up, weakside edge rusher in the NFL. Incredible first step off the snap, can turn the corner on the outside and shimmy inside against leaning tackles. Not a contact-shy player despite his slight build, often lines up on the strong side and/or inside of tight ends in a tight alignment. Strong player setting the edge against the run. Willing to take on tackles man-up, extends his arms to keep distance and can get off to grab backs trying to get through the hole. Takes tight ends backwards into the background using his length and foot work. Works through blocks to get down the line to chase plays. Overall agility and length make him effective in coverage, can stay with running backs out of the backfield and wrap up receivers in space. Excellent straight-line speed shows when chasing down plays from behind. Uses his length and jumping ability to knock down passes if unable to reach the quarterback.

CBS Sports

Possesses a lean, athletic build with plenty of room for additional muscle mass. Has an explosive first step and the combination of flexibility and closing speed to exponentially add to his sack numbers in the more pass-happy NFL than he had while at LSU. Alert defender who will get his long arms into passing lanes when unable to get to the quarterback. More physical than his frame looks. Fights through blockers at the line of scrimmage to make plays in the running game and anchors surprisingly well given his lean lower half. Possesses as much upside as any prospect in the 2013 draft.

SB Nation

Mingo spent most of his time at LSU with his hand in the dirt, displaying his explosiveness off the snap from both spots. He has the length and first snap to get a huge advantage on offensive tackles coming off the ball.

A standout athlete, Mingo will have no issues dropping back in coverage at the next level. He flips his hips well and has enough change of direction ability to stick with his man in open space. He wasn't asked to do this often at LSU, but his skill set suggest he has the ability. Mingo also covers a ton of ground on the field due to his speed, which he flashes in bunches.

As a pass rusher, Mingo presents a ton of upside. In addition to the aforementioned length and explosiveness, Mingo has the ability to bend around the edge and maintain his balance when getting after the quarterback. Some knock Mingo for a lack of a counter move, but he has a somewhat useful spin move that I noticed in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

Mingo has a narrow frame, but he holds the point of attack well in the running game. He's a sound tackler as well. The physicality in his game surprises some because of his size. He also uses his length to get his hands in passing lanes when he's unable to get after the quarterback.

Weaknesses

NFL.com

Very lean player, likely too thin in the hips to grow into an every-down defensive end. Needs to shed more consistently to prevent plays from getting outside of him. Long legs get in his way at times when trying to change directions quickly. Often gets too focused on scrapping with his blocker instead of getting his eyes in the backfield to find the ball. Did not progress in terms of pass rush moves during his career. Great player off the snap of the ball, but too often allows the offensive tackle to recover because he lacks a move to disengage.

CBS Sports

Looks more like a small forward than an NFL defensive end and could be asked to make the transition to outside linebacker, a position he's never played. While possessing explosive straight-line speed, has very long legs, which make him less fluid when changing directions than ideal. Relies upon his burst upfield to beat pass blockers and simply hasn't developed the counter moves to complement his speed in three seasons of action, leading to some concerns that he won't.

SB Nation

Mingo's lack of production is a concern for a lot of people. More concerning to me is Mingo's hand use. He is a strong player with the explosiveness to get the corner on offensive tackles, but he allows blocker to get inside him too often because he doesn't know how to use his hands. This shows up in run defense as well, as Mingo will struggle to disengage from blocks at times.

Speaking of Mingo's run defense, he needs to develop some awareness in this area of his game. Part of run defense is knowing when to disengage from a block to be able to make plays. He tends to get to caught up in his one-on-one battle and doesn't locate the football in time.

His narrow frame will raise questions about his ability to an every-down defensive end. He may need to make the switch to 3-4 outside linebacker.

Thanks to all the CSC members who participated in this year's community mock draft. Without your help, none of this would be possible.

Below are the complete results from our community mock draft.

Catch up with all of the mock draft selections in our 2013 CSC Community Draft Section.