At least seven teams had Bruce Irvin in top 15

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Mel Kiper called the decision of the Seahawks to take West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin with the 15th pick in the draft “mind boggling.”  It shouldn’t have been.

Per a league source, at least seven teams had Irvin rated as one of the top 15 players available in the draft.

It’s no coincidence that we had Irvin in round one of the PFT and PFT Live mock drafts.

The knock on Irvin was that he lacks the size to contribute against the run.  But he has shown an uncanny ability to get to passer during two years at West Virginia.

He’ll get a chance to continue to chase quarterbacks in the NFC West, as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

49 responses to “At least seven teams had Bruce Irvin in top 15

  1. Irvin has an array of moves that he uses when working the outside on an offensive tackle. He can use an explosive plant and drive that allows him to get under the chin of a tackle and disengage quickly to gain separation.

    Dude will be a BEAST for the Hawks!

  2. He has rare speed for a defensive end… He will play the Leo position in Carrolls defense which Clay Matthews played in college Irvin is a perfect fit

  3. This the same mel kiper that dawged james carpenter who became rock solid last year before he got injured. Kiper always gets his feelings hurt when he misses on a pic. is it just me or did the nfl networks coverage rocked espns old and tired kiper and berman. they seemed uninformed and boring compared ti the nfl network guys.

  4. They had a glaring need and addressed it specifically, JS and PC have earned a little benefit of the doubt with their moves over the last two years.

    Also, if the Kipers and all these draft “experts” were so good at determining a players worth and future they would be in a front office not on TV. I believe he also had Jeff George destined for the HOF on draft day too, now that was “mind boggling”.

  5. Sorry, Mike, I’m not buying.

    The Draft value chart I’m looking at projects Irvin as an OLB, and ranks him as the 11th best LB in the draft – behind currently undrafted David Lavonte, Zack Brown, Mychal Kendricks, Bobby Wagner and Sean Spence.

    Seriously, the ‘Hawks had him rated as the 2nd best LB, behind Luke Kuechly?

    Madness.

  6. I totally agree with jhart615. I’ve been railing against the Kipers and Mayocks with a ton of thumbs down as a result, but jhart615 put it better. Before we say how awful these guys are, let’s see how they play first.

  7. Yes the Hawks needed a pass rusher, but 245 pound guy that can’t stay out of trouble? At that size he is a small LB at best, not a DE.

  8. tsutton84 says:
    Apr 26, 2012 11:41 PM
    Sorry, Mike, I’m not buying.

    The Draft value chart I’m looking at projects Irvin as an OLB, and ranks him as the 11th best LB in the draft – behind currently undrafted David Lavonte, Zack Brown, Mychal Kendricks, Bobby Wagner and Sean Spence.

    Seriously, the ‘Hawks had him rated as the 2nd best LB, behind Luke Kuechly?

    And in 2009 I bet those draft value charts had Aaron Curry above players like Clay Mathews, Brian Cushing, and Brian Orakpo.

    Those draft value charts are a load of crap.

  9. acromartieismydad says:Apr 26, 2012 11:35 PM

    They had a glaring need and addressed it specifically, JS and PC have earned a little benefit of the doubt with their moves over the last two years.

    Also, if the Kipers and all these draft “experts” were so good at determining a players worth and future they would be in a front office not on TV. I believe he also had Jeff George destined for the HOF on draft day too, now that was “mind boggling”.
    —————————————————
    You do realize that the Kipers and Mcshays of this world that everyone bashes after the draft make 10 times more than the scouts employed by the teams don’t you?

    I’m a WVU alumni and fan, but Irvin is a one trick pony. I hope he suceeds but wow, I can’t believe he went that early.

  10. Bruce Irvin is going to fit right into that Leo position that Chris Clemons plays so well. When I’ve seen Bruce play, the first thing I thought is that he’s Chris Clemons and I was hoping the Seahawks would draft him. Didn’t think it would be in the first round though. Only time will tell.

  11. @ pocketfudge

    Yes, I’m sure the Browns fans are happy they got the lower ranked Brandon Weeden in the first round, instead of Andrew Luck or RG3. I’m sure the “experts” blew that one, too.

  12. The 9ers liked him, or pretended to, so that is enough for me to know he can play. They said the 9ers reached with whoever they got too, so we will see.

    You know how many guys had to offer amended draft grades on the 9ers last year? If Kiper could draft well, he would be working for a team…

  13. The kid did some stupid things in high school, growing up in a pretty bad neighborhood. He had the smarts and drive to get himself out of that mess and worked his way all the way back in and up to the NFL. How can you not love that.

    I’m excited to see what he can do.

  14. Arguably the best LB drafted last season was K.J. Wright Drafted by the same Pete Carroll and John Schneider. I guess they didnt want to take a chance on missing on this kid.

  15. Addresses the huge need for a pass rusher, plain and simple, which the team hasn’t had for a while.

    With the Seahawks secondary playing well last year and getting better, the more they can rush the QB up front, the better.

    A bit of a gamble given the guy’s past…but worth the risk.

  16. If Irvins plays in a scheme that exclusively allows him to rush the QB he can be highly effective. His speed off the snap is insane, and he instinctively how to get at a QB. In a pass-happy league he could devastating in the right situations.

    Watching hi play at WV
    U was exciting- he got sacks when it looked for sure like he was pushed out of a play.

    I don’t recall him getting into trouble in college though, but maybe i missed something.

  17. @tsutton84

    You mean Wheedon AND Trent Richardson… The only way they get one of those two QBs would be to give up both picks. Instead Mike Holmgren hand picked his QB late in the first. But I but you think Holmgren doesn’t know anything about Quarterbacks…

  18. One thing you cannot argue: That first step is nuclear. No one can coach that kind of athletic ability. It’s freakish.

    He has an immediate role on the team: To come in for Red Bryant in passing situations and get after the QB. He is a perfect fit for Seattle’s line rotation this year. He can rush the passer while Carroll coaches him into an every-down player.

  19. Of course the guy is fast, he’s roughly the same size as the average wide receiver.

    NFL tackles will pick this guy up and toss him in a sideline trash can.

  20. Irvin is going to be a complete SAVAGE for the Seahawks. Von Miller-like first step and relentless speed. This could be Clay Matthews, Jr all over again. I love John Schneider.

  21. As a Seahawk fan I am really excited with this pick. When I was watching it live, I was like,”Who is this guy?” But, after a lot of research I think this is a great pick. He is lightning quick and relentless going to the QB. He didn’t make good decisions in high school but I truly believe that that’s the past. Pete Carrol also recruited him when he coached at USC, so he already had a relationship with him. I really learned to trust Pete and the Hawks staff after they made “questionable” decisions in the 2011 draft that turned out great: James Carpenter, John Moffitt, Richard Sherman. Pete has done a fantastic job stacking the Hawks roster with raw, young talent. I can’t wait too see the rest of the draft, and to watch the Hawks getting closer and closer to the superbowl.

  22. Mayock actually watches film. If you’ve ever read any of Kiper’s blue books you know he relies heavily on stats, awards, and pre-college-football-season hype. So Seattle got the most coveted guy outside of quarterback – one that pressures the other team’s QB – at 15. Hard to see how this is a mistake if he pans out.
    And hey smarmy, “if he pans out” applies to all the other draftees.

  23. Which teams? How do we know and if we have that info, maybe it would be helpful to have more of that data for the next few rounds.,.

  24. I dont know if he will makeup for the seahawks losing David Hawthorne but he doesnt seem to bad.I would suggest that he gains some muscle though.It will make him a even better player.Goodluck Seahawks..

  25. You said “source” right, as in “singular.”

    How on earth would one person be privy to the draft boards of at least seven teams? Don’t NFL teams tend to keep this sort of thing as secret?

    I don’t doubt that there would be a bunch of NFL teams that liked Irvin, I’m just doubtful that there exists a person who would be in a position to confirm this affection for multiple teams. By what mechanism could a single person become aware of the ranking of a single player on “at least seven” different teams’ boards?

    I mean, even if Roger Goodell called up the team and asked “Where do you have Bruce Irvin ranked” I don’t think teams would tell him.

  26. I’m a bit confused, how does this anonymous source know if ONE team had him in their top 15, let alone ‘at least 7’? Are draft boards public knowledge?

  27. The guy dropped out of high school, took his GED and then went to jr college first so I’m sure the intangible part of his grade scared some teams off. Plus, he is a pass rusher that’s it…So, we’ll see how effective he is going up against NFL tackles..

    BTW–Mel Kiper did work for an NFL team back in the day…

  28. boozeshoes says:Apr 27, 2012 7:57 AM

    How is this gem less toxic than j Jenkins???
    ______________________________

    I don’t know a lot about Jenkins. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Irvin’s last serious offense is four and a half years ago, while Jenkins may still smell like bongwater?

    The reason this kid is different from, say, Jerramy Stevens, is that Stevens was a star in HS and had his butt kissed all the way through HS and college. The fact he was a star athlete allowed him to get away with stuff (including a few alleged rapes while at UW) and he clearly felt he could get away with anything. Stevens and Koren Robinson both felt ENTITLED to success. As a result, they didn’t work hard, and made poor decisions off the field.

    Irvin was at rock-bottom when he dropped out of HS and went to live on the streets. He knows the price of failure, and that his success is not a privilege, but something he had to go out and earn. He didn’t have recruiters kissing his butt, he had to walk on at Mt. SAC and play his way onto the team (and had to pay to play there as well, since Cali JuCos have no scholarships). From there, he earned his way to a scholarship at WVU and eventually into the first round of the draft.

    Go and read his whole story. It’s like someone wrote the script to “Blind Side 2”.

  29. I watch the draft every year and this pick will probably make or break it JS/PC. Major improvements over 2 years and big change in the talent thanks to their drafts in the later rounds with Sherman, Wright, Chancellor and even free agency picks ups. My friend texts me that Seattle traded back and with Ingram, Coples, Jones all out there I thought one of their names would be called but Bruce Irvin. I thought we would get him in second round because I read how athletic and effective he was rushing the passer. The kid still has to learn the game. If Ingram comes out with 10 + sacks and Irvin is sitting there with 2 I know myself as a die hard fan I am not going to be happy to say the least. I’m just in Carroll and Schneider and after watch Carpenter clear some holes for beast mode half way through the season, who cares what Kiper says.

  30. @hawks12 I agree with you %100 not only will he fit really well like Matthews did, but he is also about 5 to 8 pounds heavier than Clay (240) was when he was drafted. So this “undersized” criticism is bogus.

  31. For all you idiots who think he’s too light do you remember this man:

    Charles Lewis Haley
    Position: DE/LB
    Height: 6′ 5” Weight: 230

    he turnout to be a pretty good rusher.

  32. hawkforlife says:
    Apr 27, 2012 2:16 PM
    For all you idiots who think he’s too light do you remember this man:

    Charles Lewis Haley
    Position: DE/LB
    Height: 6′ 5” Weight: 230

    he turnout to be a pretty good rusher.
    ——————————————-
    You’re already comparing him to Charles Haley, and we’re the idiots.

  33. I hate to go John Madden on you maddog but hawkforlife was clearly pointing out that Charles Haley was even smaller than Bruce Irvin.The next step after using the John Madden method requires crayons.

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