BTSC 2012 Community Mock Draft Pick No. 12 -- Seattle Seahawks Select Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

Consensus seems to be that the Chiefs threw a curveball taking Brock Osweiler, so would the Seahawks throw one as well? We're using baseball metaphors today because their season is just starting. Anyways, Riddlah made the pick here and that's for you to decide. Next up: Arizona Cardinals, aka Steelers West, and they'll be represented by Steel34D.

By the way, if you look back at previous community mock draft picks, you'll see that some of them now have minute-long draft profiles embedded that were not there before. It's been Michael Bean's personal project to make these videos happen, and we'll be going back and embedding more as new ones come out everyday! Let us know what you think of them! -barnerburner-

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Before free agency, quarterback would have easily been Seattle’s most pressing need. However, that all changed on March 18, 2012 when the Seattle Seahawks signed Matt Flynn, the previous back up to Aaron Rodgers, to a 3 year $26 million deal of which only $10 million is guaranteed. Whether or not his signing will pay off is unclear, but what is clear is that Seattle most likely won’t be drafting a quarterback with any of their first few picks after they just dropped big money on their (hopefully) franchise quarterback.

For this pick I could have gone several ways. I was considering Michael Floyd (taken), Quinton Coples (taken), or maybe even Luke Kuechly (also taken). However, after scouring Field Gulls for several days and listening to their opinions and analyses of their team I decided that the best pick would be...

Melvin Ingram – DE/OLB, South Carolina

I chose Melvin Ingram because not only does he provide quite a bit of value at this pick, but because he fills one of Seattle’s biggest needs: pass rush. In the 2011-2012 season, Seattle only managed 33 sacks, 11 of which came from their stud defensive end Chris Clemons. That simply won’t cut it. But before I go on I suggest you read this excellent piece by Thomas Beekers on the intricacies of Seattle’s defense.

In Seattle’s defense, Ingram would play at the SLB position during the first two downs before replacing Red Bryant at the DE position to, along with Clemons, provide that fierce pass rush that Seattle has been missing. To do this Ingram would not only have to have great pass rushing ability but also he would have to be able to drop into coverage and stop the run while playing at the SLB position. Luckily for Seattle, Ingram is proficient at all three of those requirements.

At South Carolina, Ingram had shown the ability to drop back into coverage on several occasions unlike many of the other DE/OLBs in the draft, such as Nick Perry, Courtney Upshaw, or Whitney Mercilus. Obviously he’ll need work at it, but then again most prospects do. As for his run stopping ability, he has both the strength and block shedding ability to be proficient against the run, and to top it all off he is quite fast and has very good closing speed for someone who weighs 260lbs+, which will also help him out a lot when dropping back into coverage. His pass rushing ability is easily one of his biggest strengths, shown by his 21.5 career sacks on a very talented South Carolina defensive line.

Melvin Ingram has all of the requirements to fit into Seattle’s complicated defense and should be a starter in no time at all. He possesses everything you could want in a DE/OLB—a great pass rush, the ability to stop the run, and even drop into coverage if need be. He also has a great work ethic and from all accounts is a great kid with no past history of trouble. Combine his natural talent and athletic ability with his superb work ethic and you have all the makings of a future NFL star.

BTSC 2012 Community Mock Draft Picks: