It seems like myself and Mel Kiper are about the only Draftniks that have Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling ranked as a first round NFL Draft Prospect. As of 31 January 2008 Kiper has him ranked 11th on his big board and I have him rated as a first round NFL Draft prospect on my Draft Value Board. Since he is a recently declared junior maybe the scouts haven’t had a chance to go back and look at his game film yet.Regardless of the reason, I predict by the end of the NFL Scouting Combine Merling will be widely regarded as a first round talent. Merling was forecast as a second-round pick by the NFL underclassmen advisory committee. But he (Merling) believes he could move into the first round with a good showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. I agree, Merling has all the tangibles you look for in an NFL prospect, nice size at 6.4 ½ and 276 pounds and very nice athletic ability. Reportedly, he decided to turn pro partly because he has a child, and also because his mother is struggling financially.
Merling was a two way player and a tight end at Fork Union Military Academy (2004) before joining the Clemson Tigers, he had 38 catches for 647 yards and five touchdowns; he added five sacks, 51 tackles, and eight pass breakups as a defensive end. He was the 18th ranked tight end in the nation according to SuperPrep, the 20th ranked tight end by Scout.com and was rated as the 25th best prep player in the nation by Rivals.com.
Merling has been extremely productive on the football field and has the entire repertoire of pass rushing moves. At close to 280 pounds he also has the girth to hold up against the run. The other thing that makes him attractive to the NFL is his size and strength will allow him to play end in either a 34 or a 43 defense. It’s not even out of the question to convert him to outside linebacker. Greg Ellis made the transition for the Dallas Cowboys and both players have almost identical size and abilities, Merling might even be a little quicker than Ellis.
Once he got to Clemson (2005) he quickly adapted to playing defensive end exclusively; he was awarded the 12th Man Award for the defense as a rookie and received second-team freshman All-America honors as a defensive end by Rivals.com. He played 271 snaps, fifth among Clemson freshmen and second among first-year freshmen.
As a sophomore (2006) he played behind eventual first round pick (#4 Tampa Bay Bucs) Gaines Adams, but played in all 13 games. He totaled 46 tackles, third-most among defensive linemen and was ninth on the team in tackles. Clemson's defense was rated in the top-16 nationally among division 1 defenses. Merling had 10 tackles for loss, second-most on the team behind Gaines Adams and finished the season strong with at least four tackles in each of the last six contests. He had 30 of his 46 tackles during the last six games and finished the season with five tackles along with a tackle for loss against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
This season (2007) as a junior he elevated his play even further. He led Clemson in tackles for loss with 17 and quarterback sacks with seven. He was instrumental to the Tigers’ top 10 national ranking in scoring and total defense. Merling recorded 78 tackles to rank fourth on the team, first among defensive linemen. He was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times, more than any other ACC player. It marked the first time since 2001 that a Clemson player was named ACC Player of the Week three times. On 17 November 2007 in a game against Boston College (BC), Merling registered six tackles, including two sacks for 22 yards. He also was credited with three quarterback pressures on the night, and drew two holding calls against the BC offensive line. In 67 defensive snaps, Merling graded at 88 percent as the Clemson defense held the Eagles to just 60 yards rushing. He dominated a quality BC offensive line and is expected to do the same in the NFL.
Digg This Article
No comments:
Post a Comment