Sunday, April 21, 2013

NFL Draft 2013: Mike Detillier Interview on LSU Prospects

It’s draft week in the National Football League, an exciting time even though preseason play is still three months away. 

College football expert and NFL draft authority Mike Detillier was kind enough to field some questions about the 2013 player selection. 
The WWL 870 AM radio commentator and author of his eponymous draft guide offered his take on how LSU’s draft declared talent would fare, including a certain ballhawk whose tenure with the university football program ended prematurely. 

The interview has been broken into two segments, the first will focus mainly on the draft prospects of Louisiana college players and the second will examine the draft from the New Orleans Saints organization’s perspective.
1.Let me lead off with the question that is on the minds of all of the Who Dat nation and the LSU fan base, if linebacker Barkevious Mingo is still on the board when the Saints pick at the slot fifteen, do they select him?

If he is there, and that is a big if, yes, I pick him.  He is going to be a better pro than college player. He is a lot like Tamba Hali was when he came out of Penn State. Undersized defensive end who is tailor-made to play a 3-4 outside linebacker slot in the NFL. The Saints still need a dominant pass rusher in the worst way and he could be that solution.
2.How will LSU players overall fare in the 2013 NFL Draft?

This will be the best draft class ever for LSU.  Mingo and Eric Reid go in round one. Kevin Minter and Sam Montgomery go in the second round. Tharold Simon and Bennie Logan go on round three and Lavar Edwards goes in the fourth round.  I see Brad Wing, Chris Faulk, Michael Ford , Spencer Ware going late and P.J. Lonergan and Russell Shepard possibly getting picked late also.
3.Where do you see someone who is no longer affiliated with the university,  the Honey Badger Tyrann Mathieu going in the draft?

Late second or early in round three.  Great punt returner and instantly he is the 3rd cornerback for 30 of the 32 teams in the NFL. Despite his off the field concerns he is a playmaker of the highest order and he just has great football instincts.
4.Former LSU punter Brad Wing is arguably the top punter in the 2013 NFL Draft though like Mathieu, he has a history of conduct problems.  Do you believe the Aussie has matured enough to make it in the NFL and what round do you see him being picked?

He has had some immature moments and that is why he last until the fifth round. He is one of the most gifted punters I have graded in 10 years. Tremendous leg strength and hangtime and he is an outstanding directional punter, but he has some troubling off the field issues and showed a lack of judgment.
5.You have Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin listed in your draft guide as the twelfth best signal caller on the board.  Do you think the Saints will try to pick him and by what round do you think he will be taken?
Yes, I think they will and I would say he will be around for round six or maybe even as late as round seven.

6.Your draft guide has to be one of the most comprehensive breakdowns of the NFL draft available for public consumption.  It’s almost 200 pages long, includes information about team free agent signings and trades plus data that would be helpful for fantasy football enthusiasts.  How many hours do you spend assembling this impressive football reference and do you still have any available for purchase?
Way too many.  I take a couple of weeks off in the summer, but every day I spend a few hours evaluating talent at the college and prep level, everyday. I do a ton of radio and TV shows, but I make time everyday to look at and grade players at the college level.

We had a great run this year and we are sold out and I want to thank everyone that has ordered. There was a lot of interest in this year’s draft class.

 

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