West Virginia pass rush specialist Bruce Irvin, a former transfer and one of my favorite prospects going into last season, has taken the 2012 Combine by storm (at least for the defensive linemen) and run a 4.43 second 40 yard dash at 245 pounds. Irvin also had the quickest 10 yard split of any defensive lineman, and looks like he could be a very valuable, explosive situational pass rusher at the NFL level.
There are some concerns about Irvin’s ability to hold up at the point of attack, and probably rightfully so at his size, but his explosiveness will make him at worst a third round pick if you ask me, similar to what Dontay Moch was last year only a little more physically gifted in my opinion.
Athletically, the two could be quite similar, and Moch was a third round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011 after he ran a 4.40 second 40 yard dash at the 2011 Scouting Combine.
Here is our scouting report of Irvin from NFL Mocks:
Irvin was dominating in 2010. He had 14 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He was often unblockable. He was not a full time player though. He added 10 pounds to his frame to play defensive end this year. He’ll be moved to OLB in the N.F.L
2011: (9/25/2011)
4 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.
Pros:
Good first step….great speed…extremely productive…good motor…no serious injury history…instinctive…good pass rushing arsenal…versatile could play 4-3 OLB in the N.F.L on certain teams…really uses his hands well to shed blocks…
Cons:
Started at JUCO and played as a specialist last year, lacks a ton of experience (not a huge deal)…Too small to play DE in the N.F.L….a little small for OLB in the N.F.L….Hasn’t shown enough yet in his run stopping abilities…can’t do that as a defensive end in the league…can he handle more attention vs other big time prospects? This remains to be seen…Isn’t great in zone coverage…can get too wide in his pass rush (that’s ok for certain schemes like the Eagles or Colts…not great for other teams)
Player comparison: I’ll continue to think of a better one, but right now think of a college Manny Lawson
Sayre’s initial Scouting report:
Bruce Irvin is one of the most underrated prospects in this year’s crop of players, and probably rightfully so. He had been in junior college up until last season, where he was an All-American defensive end/linebacker hybrid with 72 tackles, 16 sacks, and 21 tackles for loss. His prowess at junior college helped him wind up at West Virginia where he was strictly a third down pass rusher, so he didn’t see a ton of action as a starter, but he made the most of his limited opportunities. He finished the year with just 21 tackles, but he had 14 sacks and two forced fumbles. He is truly unstoppable as a pass rusher, and he is getting a chance to start this year as a defensive end for the Mountaineers, so we will have to see how he holds up as a full-time starter, but for now, I really like him as a prospect.