RUSH WEEK: Whitney Mercilus of Illinois is a player who could help the Jets put pressure on opposing quarterbacks for years to come. (AP)
The pre-draft process is filled with NFL teams formulating challenging, intelligent, probing questions for prospective draft picks.
But the one Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus gets the most is pretty simple.
“What happened?” Mercilus said with a laugh in a phone interview.
Mercilus has received one of the worst labels a draft pick can get: “one-year wonder.” As a junior in 2011, he had 16 sacks, 22 1/2 tackles for a loss and nine forced fumbles. But in his first two years at Illinois, he had two sacks combined.
That’s the sort of thing that can scare off a team thinking of selecting Mercilus.
“Why did I just wake up?” Mercilus said mimicking a question from a team. “The thing about that is I didn’t just wake up.”
No, Mercilus said he finally got a chance. He played sparingly as a freshman, but saw plenty of time as a sophomore. The problem for him was the Illini had a pass-rushing specialist who was a senior. Every time the opponent got into a passing situation, Mercilus came off the field.
“He didn’t really have as many opportunities to get after the quarterback in previous years as he did this year,” Illinois defensive line coach Keith Gilmore said. “This year he was the guy and he played more snaps. He didn’t have anyone coming in on third down and he made the most of it. Like most players, they get to a certain point and maturity. The lights come on. It just all came together for him.
“But it’s not like he just started playing. He’s taken a lot of reps around here and been a contributor to this program.”
Mercilus should be available when the Jets select at 16. They need a pass rusher desperately, but he could be a risky pick for them. Mercilus played mainly 4-3 defensive end in college, so there is a question about converting him into a 3-4 outside linebacker.
There is also the question of where exactly Mercilus belongs on the draft board. The NFL Draft Advisory Board gave him a third-round grade, but Mercilus has shot up draft boards over the last few months. His strong 2011 season, when he led the nation in sacks, could be a mirage. Or it could be a glimpse of things to come.
“I like the fact he’s a natural pass rusher [with] natural pass rush instinct and natural pass rush moves, which is critical moving forward in the NFL,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “He plays the run adequately. I think you look at a guy right there who with another year at Illinois, if he would have played one more year at Illinois, he would have been up there where Simeon Rice was, in the top five, Simeon Rice, the former great player at Illinois and a good player in the NFL.”
Mercilus said his only contact with the Jets came at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He said they were not at his Pro Day and he has not visited them. The Jets sometimes like to hide their interest in prospects, so it is tough to gauge exactly what that means.
The 6-foot-3, 254-pounder said he would welcome playing in New York, where he has family. He said the Jets would be happy they took him.
“If a team drafts me, what they’ll be getting is a hard worker who is willing to learn anything,” Mercilus said. “I’m just looking forward to being molded into one of the greatest players to play the game.”