clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

2013 NFL Mock Draft: Jaguars could take Barkevious Mingo over Star Lotulelei

Could the Jacksonville Jaguars choose Barkevious Mingo over Star Lotulelei in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft?

USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars can't seem to get away from having top picks in the NFL Draft. They continue to struggle on both sides of the ball, and this past season they had the second-worst record in the NFL, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs.

Visit Big Cat Country for more on the Jaguars and their 2013 NFL Draft needs

So they have the No. 2 pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, with needs on both sides of the ball. But they don't have a bigger need than the defensive line, and that's why most mock drafts around the Internet have them taking some kind of lineman.

As to which lineman they will take, that's been up for debate. The consensus seems to be that Star Lotulelei out of Utah will be the pick, but he's not the only option. Dan Kadar of SB Nation released his latest mock draft on Monday and he has the Jaguars taking Barkevious Mingo, the defensive end out of LSU:

The Jaguars are putting Jason Babin at the important Leo position, but Mingo is a much better fit. Look for him to be one of the superstars in Indianapolis. While he did have a down year statistically, the LSU defense called for him to play more contain and not over-pursue. He's athletic enough to play with his hand in the dirt or on his feet.

Stay up to date on all of SB Nation's 2013 NFL Draft coverage

Mingo is one of the top players in the draft and hasn't been making it much further than pick No. 5 in most mocks around the Internet, so it's not a reach for the Jaguars to be picking him at No. 2. Just check out his scouting report here.

What the Jaguars really need out of their defensive end position -- or as it's called in their scheme, the "Leo" -- is consistency, and Mingo has been a very consistent player who did everything the coaches asked of him in college and certainly would do the same in the NFL.

Photographs by cstreet.us, thelastminute, turtlemom nancy , fesek, kthypryn, justinwright, sue_elias, pointnshoot, and scrapstothefuture used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.