Players that play a premium position always tend to get a boost in value come draft time. Hence, the soaring stock of Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus.
2012 NFL Draft: Whitney Mercilus Raising His Stock
Mercilus was a relative unknown coming into the 2011 season before bursting onto the scene with 16 sacks, leading the country. In the pre-draft process, Mercilus has continued to make a name for himself, potentially vaulting his stock into the top half of the first round.
After an impressive showing at the combine in which Mercilus weighed-in at 261 pounds and ran a 4.68, the versatile pass rusher further bolstered his stock with a strong pro day, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars all had representatives at the Illinois pro day among another 26 teams that sent scouts. Jaguars' defensive line coach Joe Cullen conducted the pass-rush drills for Mercilus.
Versatility is one of the plus attributes Mercilus exhibits, and he put that on display Tuesday, performing well in both the pass-rush drills and the linebacker drills.
As the NFL Draft approaches, expect Mercilus to continue to climb draft boards. Knocks on him include his struggles against the run and the fact that he only had one year of dominant college production, but the more I watch this guy, the more impressed I am with his ability to get after the quarterback, a skill that is in high demand at this time of year.
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