2012 NFL Mock Draft: Bruce Irvin Is Solid Value For Packers In Round 2

Some around the league say Irvin could end up being the best pass rusher of the entire group. He has some off-the-field question marks but his on-the-field talent is legit. He could be a steal here in the second round.

SB Nation’s Acme Packing Company explains the pick:

The Green Bay Packers’ biggest problems in 2011 were along the front seven. B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews are Pro Bowl-level talents, but the players around them looked like anything but for most of the year. Acme Packing Company addressed one need for a versatile defensive lineman that can play as a 3-4 end in Round 1 with Devon Still, so we’re addressing the other pressing issue along the front seven in Round 2 with Bruce Irvin, who could make an immediate impact as a pass rusher on the opposite side of Matthews.

There are questions about Irvin’s ability to drop back in coverage and he had a minor run-in with the law, picking up a destruction of property charge in March after he broke a sign at a sandwich shop, but his physical tools and production are too good to ignore. He has the size to play as a 3-4 rush linebacker at 6’3, 245 pounds (though he could stand to put on a bit of weight) and his 4.50 40-yard dash time is impressive. His 8.5 sacks in 2011 were a drop-off from his 14 sacks in 2010, but he put up that lower number under a new coaching staff and on a bad all-around defense.

Irvin is limited, but he fits a need perfectly for the Packers, and it’s a bit rare that guys with this combination of physical upside and production fall into the lap of a team that needs them in the late 2nd round.

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