I am so frigging glad that AJ picked a talented player from a legit school... not some no-name from Southeast Western Stumblebump Junior College or wherever Larrry English came from. Good move... good athlete... good pick...
the Bull Dog at the end is priceless.. But Ingram has also played all over the field, OLB, ILB, and DT.. YES DEFENSIVE TACKLE lol.. kid is unreal with athleticism
Just a small taste of it here: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/09000d5d828a4863/Chargers-pick-Melvin-Ingram-No-18 Damn, does he have quick feet!
Folks, it looks like we have got ourselves a beast and our pass rush just got a whole lot better. Thrilled with the pick, I am going to go find more highlight footage online. With 2 of the top rated O-linemen and 2 of the top rated safeties already selected where does the team go with their 2nd round pick?
This is the single most impressive video on Ingram I've seen - bar none. If you have time, also take a peek at their similar, (but different), eval on Dwight Freeney and you will see a lot of similarity.
I'm not over the moon, but I think I'm happier that for once AJ didn't try to outsmart everyone else and in the process outsmart himself (maybe being on the hot-seat is something he should have experienced sooner - he does better when he doesn't feel quite as comfortable about his job security). We didn't get the guy with the highest ceiling, but that was also because we (more specifically, our coaching staff and front office personnel) didn't have the luxury of the kind of job-security to bank on a prospect who might take most of, if not slightly more than, his rookie year to make a meaningful impact. We sacrificed some ceiling for a higher floor, but we still took one of the three best value players on the board at the time of our pick. I think the James Harrison comparisons are a bit off. Now, Melvin is perfectly welcome to prove me wrong but I think we got a guy who is much more like the other Pittsburgh OLB in LaMarr Woodley - a top-end complimentary OLB who can do a little bit of everything and come from all angles (including inside) and who is very likely a consistent 6-8 sack per season provider with the potential to exceed 10 if we ever put an elite or near-elite pure pass-rusher opposite him (doesn't necessarily have to be a Merriman or Ware who were much more rounded-prospects). Another guy I'd say he compares favorably to (and who in some circles I was advocating just outright trading our 1st for if we wanted a pass-rusher, had we had the cap-space to give the guy the contract he wants) is Detroit's Cliff Avril in terms of pass-rushing. What we got was a guy who actually does need fine tuning on his pass-rushing technique but comes Day One ready and able to drop into coverage and support the run (he's actually the inverse of what you come to expect from most 3-4 OLB prospects who didn't play the position in college). This is why I feel he's being pegged as Phillips' successor and not the guy to eventually take over the spot on the opposite side where Barnes/Johnson are platooning. We have to remember that when we had both Shawne and Shaun together, Phillips was used in more than just a pass-rushing capacity - he'd drop into coverage, he'd spend some time playing nickel LB in that package along with Donnie. Look at it this way, even if Ingram never turns out to be a crack OLB, the guy is nimble enough and adept enough in coverage that we now have our security blanket in the event Mouton doesn't turn out at ILB as Spikes' successor. With this selection, in fact, I'd actually be pretty surprised to see us select any ILB unless it's a value pick in the 6th or 7th to get a guy we really want in camp and don't want to have to compete on the open market for to sign as a UDFA to achieve that aim.
Ingram is a stud and extremely versatile. I can see him sliding down inside on passing downs to rush the passer from the DT position, much like the Giants do with Justin Tuck. I expect to see Barnes, Phillips and Ingram all rushing the passer on third down and in nickel/dime situations.
I was just about to post that. Anyone worried about his 40 speed is crazy. The guy is incredibly quick.
No reason to be worried about a 40 time. He's a guy who is going to be a pass rushing specialist. Top end speed is something that is overrated for this type of player because it's rarely put on display. I will take a guy who is powerful, has an explosive first step, and can play in many different fronts, and positions. Which you emphasized on your last post. I mean anytime you have a guy that can accelerate to 18 mph in 3 strides is pretty impressive.
yeah i was worried when i saw the 4.80 but this video along with his fake punt td took away all doubt
He can take Tommie Harris' spot as the 3rd down middle rusher. Phillips and Barnes on the outside, with Ingram pushing up the middle.
I think you are underestimating this kid. He's a great athlete with huge upside. He was one of the top 3 defensive players in this draft.
He'll also be our second string QB. Charlie could definitely learn some things from him. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him at TE at some point. Also, I'm not sure if I'm joking or not. His Sports Science clip has me feeling all sorts of things.
He'll have played QB, RB, FB, TE, DT, DE, ILB, OLB and K. Especially kicker, that's why we drafted him
Agree Liamo the handshake was neat. And he sure looks the part. If he is anything like James Harrison or Merriman, all I can say is WOW. How did he fall to 18 and Bruce Irvin go before him?. There are still some real good players on the board but no safeties worth a dime I believe. So, for me it is corner (Jenkins?) or O line now in round 2. Barron ended up going v high, we were never gona move up that far for a safety, will be interesting to see him play when we are in Tampa.
The surprise about this pick is it was not a surprise choice after the Bolts were on the clock filling the need for a pass rusher, the surprise was that he was available at #18. I have now set up my count down timer for the game on September 10th at 7:15 pm in (as I type this) 136 days 17 hours and 6 minutes.
