Chargers Select DE/LB Melvin Ingram With 18th Pick

We didn’t get Mark Barron like I was hoping for, but Melvin Ingram slipped to the 18th spot in the draft!!! So dang excited! Ingram will be the pass rusher that we need and will be worked in with Shaun Phillips, Jarret Johnson and all those linebackers. He was rated as one of the top pass rushers in the draft and slipped from the top 10 to us, all because he has some t-rex arms.

Here is Pro Football Weekly scouting report:

Positives:

Highly athletic with fluid movement skills. Bends naturally. Light on his feet and loose-hipped. Quick, forceful, active hands. Strong through his core — plays with leverage vs. the run and stacks the edge. Powerful bull rush. Very effective swim move. Productive playmaker. Instinctive, aware and is usually around the football. Versatile — plays  outside and inside, stands up and plays special teams (on the “hands” team). Confident and competitive.

Negatives:

Short arms. Does not have ideal dimensions (tweener size) — lacks ideal length for the outside and ideal bulk for the inside. Will struggle with double-teams. Can be late to locate the ball. Could stand to play with more consistent intensity — motor does not always rev. Only a one-year full-time starter. Has some growing up to do.

Summary:

A unique athlete scattered across multiple positions on NFL draft boards, with potential to line up on the edge or inside, where much of his production comes. Can even warrant looks as a rush or an inside linebacker, possessing ideal size for a 3-4 front. Emerged as a playmaking force as a senior and will be best schemed rushing the passer. Versatility should drive up his value for a creative defensive coordinator, but short arms and immaturity issues also could diminish his draft status — especially for teams projecting him to a position that he did not play in college.