The post 2014 NFL Scouting Combine mock drafts of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft continue to role out and the latest one from a major media draftnik has a defensive end going to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 15th overall selection.
In his most recent mock released on Friday, Pat Kirwan of CBS Sports tabs Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy as the Steelers first choice in the May draft.
Kirwan writes:
The Steelers could consider a safety but Clinton-Dix is already gone. Ealy could be in the defensive line rotation as a rookie. Brett Keisel and Ziggy Hood are free agents.
As far as Ealy goes, he measured in at the combine at 6’4″ and weighed 273 pounds. In 2013, he registered 9.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and forced three fumbles. While Kirwan has him going to the Steelers as a defensive end, many scouts believe he’s athletic enough to be a 3-4 outside linebacker. Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network is one of those that believes the Missouri product could indeed make that transition and you can see his breakdown of him in the video below.
Like many tweener-types coming out of college, Ealy could use a little sand in his pants and while he has played some standing up, he most definitely would need some time to learn the outside linebacker position in the Steelers defense.
Personally, I view Ealy more as a 3-4 outside linebacker or a 4-3 pass rushing defensive end than I do a 3-4, 5-technique defensive end. Because of that, I think the Steelers should go in a different direction.
Chime in with your thoughts on Ealy below.
| COLLEGE | POS | HGT | WGT | ARMS | HANDS | 40(1) | 40(2) | 40(O) | 10(1) | 10(2) | 225 | VJ | BJ | 3C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | DL | 6040 | 273 | 34 1/4 | 9 1/2 | 4.84 | 4.84 | 4.92 | 1.72 | 1.66 | 22 | 31 | 9’6″ | 6.83 |
[flv:http://ll.video.nfl.com/films/s2013/nflcom/offseason/dj_top_50_kony_ealy_500k.mp4 575 323]
