By Jay Skurski
Kevin Minter
Position: Inside linebacker
School: LSU
Measurements: 6-foot-0, 246 pounds
40 time: 4.81 seconds 225-pound bench press: 25 reps Vertical:
33 inches
2012 stats: 13
starts, 130 tackles, 15 for loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble
Draft projection: First-second round
Lowdown: Minter sat behind Bills linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, whom he stays in close contact with, in 2010 before taking over as the starter for the Tigers the next year. ... A slippery defender with a high football IQ. Uses great instincts to anticipate where the ball is going to go. ... Has an array of moves to get around offensive linemen. Times his blitzes well and is a sure tackler. Stayed on the field when the Tigers went to their nickel package, one reason he was the most dependable player on an LSU defense full of NFL prospects.
Was a machine against Florida in a losing effort, racking up 17 solo tackles and two sacks. Registered double-digit tackles in five games. ... Does not have the elite speed needed to get to the edge in the NFL, but can sometimes overcome that by taking good angles. ... Doesn't deliver the big hit very often. Has not played in a 3-4 scheme since high school.
Intense player with a good passion for the game. ... Leaving school early to support his mother. ... Got a third-round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, but most mock drafts have him competing with Notre Dame’s Manti Te'o to be the first inside linebacker taken, sometime between the middle of Round 1 and Round 2.
They said it: "Minter is instinctive, shoots gaps, can play sideline to sideline and is particularly hard for blockers to line up. He's a steady tackler, and a good quarterback for your defense." -- ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
The Buffalo News is profiling 50 prospects in 50 days leading up to next month's NFL Draft.
tagged
2013 draft | Kevin Minter | Road to the Draft
