2012 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 2, Pick 59

The SB Nation two-round NFL mock draft continues along with each lead NFL team blogger making the pick for their team. We continue the second round with the Green Bay Packers and pick No. 59.

Kevin McCauley is off and running at Acme Packing Company. He checks in with some pick insight after the jump and I respond. For more on the Packers, check out Acme Packing Company.

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.

Dan Kadar responds: Irvin is one of the great unknowns of this year’s draft class. He’s an undersized end who had to play in a three-man front. He was often engulfed by powerful blockers or neutralized by double teams. Some believe if he played linebacker in college, he’d have developed into a slam dunk first-round pick. His athletic skill set is high, but how he can utilize it properly is the unknown. So he’s a risk anywhere this high. But for a team like the Packers, who went 15-1 last season, can take a chance on a player like Irvin and hope it works. Best player available is the usual mantra, but taking a risk on a talent like Irvin could pay off.