ESPN draft expert Merril Hoge is making it clear who he likes in the draft. As far as defensive players go, Hoge is high on Buffalo’s Khalil Mack and really surprising down on South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney.
First, according to Evan Silva of Roto World, Merril Hoge called Clowney’s fundamentals “atrocious.” Adding that Clowney is “not a very good football player” and that he “gets controlled and trucked a lot.” If Hoge were facing the decision to take either Clowney or Mack, he’d take Mack “in a heartbeat.”
He continued to praise Mack calling him the “most dominant football player I’ve ever seen come out of college.” He called Mack “fundamentally sound,” the opposite of how he described Clowney’s fundamentals. It also doesn’t matter what defensive scheme Mack is put in.
“Regardless of where he plays, he will be an impact player immediately in the NFL,” Hoge said.
Well if that ringing endorsement doesn’t get whatever team that drafts him’s fanbase excited, nothing will.