West Virginia Mountaineers defensive end/linebacker Bruce Irvin was selected as the No. 59 overall draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by Mocking the Draft's two-round mock draft. Irvin played two seasons for the Mountaineers after he transferred from Mt. San Antonio College. In the two years with West Virginia, Irvin recorded 22.5 overall sacks, 14 in 2010, good for second-most in the nation.
Kevin McCauley of Acme Packing Company explained the decision to select Irvin saying that the Green Bay Packers lacked versatility, despite having Pro Bowl talent such as B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. McCauley does express some concerns about his pass coverage, but thinks that his overall ability as a pass rusher can make up for it.
There are questions about Irvin's ability to drop back in coverage and he had a minor run-in with the law, picking up a destruction of property charge in March after he broke a sign at a sandwich shop, but his physical tools and production are too good to ignore. He has the size to play as a 3-4 rush linebacker at 6'3", 245 pounds (though he could stand to put on a bit of weight) and his 4.50 40-yard dash time is impressive. His 8.5 sacks in 2011 were a drop-off from his 14 sacks in 2010, but he put up that lower number under a new coaching staff and on a bad all-around defense.
Irvin would be a great second round selection for a team running a 3-4 defense. He is versatile defender who can get to the quarterback and can wreak havoc in the offensive backfield.
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