2013 NFL Draft - Saints Big Board

[lee909]

Just reading some mock drafts and Margus Hunt SMU DE/DT being mocked as a third rounder for the Saints.
Thoughts?

Margus Hunt, 6'7 DE, Southern Methodist

Name: Margus Hunt (+) Coming off shoulder surgeries
College: Southern Methodist
Number: 92
Height: 6-7 Weight: 280
Position: DE Pos2:
Projected Round: Stock:
Rated number 7 out of 210 DE's

12/12/12 - 2012 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM (COACHES): DL-Margus Hunt, Sr., SMU, has been selected First Team All-Conference USA (Coaches selection) for the 2012 college football season. Hunt, a senior defensive end, broke the NCAA career record for blocked field goals when he blocked his ninth career FGA against SFA and added another FGA block at UTEP.
Hunt also blocked a PAT versus Texas A&M and is now second all-time in career blocked kicks with 17 (10 FGA, 7 PAT). He leads SMU with six sacks in 2012 and is second on the team in tackles for loss (8.5). Hunt has totaled 14.5 career sacks and 25 career TFL. He also notched his first career interception in the win over Southern Miss. - SMU football

12/07/12 - SMU defensive end Margus Hunt has accepted an invitation to play in the 2013 Senior Bowl on January 26th in Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the Bowl announced today. Hunt will be the 26th Mustang to play in the Senior Bowl and first since Thomas Morstead in 2009.
Hunt, who was named first-team All-C-USA earlier this week, broke the NCAA career record for blocked field goals when he blocked his ninth career FGA against SFA and added another FG block at UTEP. Hunt also blocked a PAT versus Texas A&M and is now second all-time in career blocked kicks with 17 (10 FGA, 7 PAT). He leads SMU with six sacks in 2012 and is second on the team in tackles for loss (8.5). Hunt has totaled 14.5 career sacks and 25 career TFL. He also notched his first career interception in the win over Southern Miss. - SMU football

12/06/12 - The No. 1 player on the "Freak List: The 10 craziest athletes in college football" is coming to the Senior Bowl, game officials announced via Twitter today. SMU defensive end Margus Hunt (6-foot-7, 288 pounds) has accepted an invitation to play in the all-star game on Jan. 26 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. The "Freak List" is an annual selection made by Bruce Feldman for CBSsports.com. Feldman said Hunt, who topped the 2012 list, "sounds like a Playstation football creation." Hunt is a native of Estonia and was the gold-medal winner in the shot put and discus in the 2006 World Junior Championships. He still holds the junior world record in the discus.
Hunt started playing football in 2009 at the recommendation of SMU's track coach. He blocked seven kicks that season. Hunt holds the NCAA record with 10 blocked field-goal attempts and is second all-time with 17 blocked kicks in his career.

Hunt is a three-year starter for the Mustangs and earned All-Conference USA recognition this season. In 2012, he has made 28 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and six sacks while blocking three kicks. Hunt becomes the second defensive end confirmed for the game, joining BYU's Ziggy Ansah. The Senior Bowl announced on Thursday that Ansah had accepted an invitation. - Mark Inabinett, Alabama Live

10/18/12 - SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: After shutting out UTEP, the Mustangs sprung a big leak in the first half against Tulane. Then, after allowing only 42 yards on the first six drives of the second half, they surrendered a 68-yard drive for the deciding touchdown. Injuries have depleted the secondary. With young players at cornerback and safety, opponents are targeting mid- and long-range passes. The front seven has been solid, but it cannot totally compensate for the backend weakness, especially against good teams. - The Sports Xchange
09/11/12 - 9/11/2012 NFL DRAFT SCOUT RISER: 2. Margus Hunt DE Southern Methodist...For a player who has received a lot of hype for his intriguing skill-set, Hunt's development on the football field isn't where most expected it to be entering his senior season. Many already know Hunt's feel-good story as a former track and field stud from Estonia who picked up the game of football three years ago. But besides his work on special teams with 15 career blocked kicks, Hunt has been extremely unpolished as an every-down defender. In the Mustangs' loss to Baylor in the season opener, he looked indecisive and lost on several plays as the action around him appeared to be moving too fast for him to catch up. Hunt is built well at 6-8 and 280-pounds but he doesn't have great football strength, easily being handled by single blockers and playing too high, limiting his leverage. He has athletic tools and will likely turn heads at the NFL Combine in February, but he will be drafted based on potential and not production because his play on the football field thus far has been disappointing. Being new to the game, scouts have been patient with him, but Hunt will need to show more as a senior this season to remain in the early round mix. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com


Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
Height: 6-8. Weight: 280.
Projected 40 Time: 4.83.
Projected Round (2013): 2-3.
11/17/12: The senior started out poorly in 2012 with a bad game against Baylor. He has played better since then including strong showings against Texas A&M, Houston, Southern Miss and TCU. Hunt has 23 tackles, six sacks, an interception, two passes batted and three blocked kicks so far this season. His technique in run defense and executing pass-rushing moves has really improved over the course of the season.

8/27/12: Hunt is a physical freak. The Karksi-Nuia, Estonia product is a raw player who really came on strong at the end of his junior season. He recorded all three of his sacks for 2011 against Pittsburgh in the Bowl game. Hunt also had 28 tackles with 7.5 tackles for a loss. He totaled 5.5 sacks across his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Hunt uses his height to be a dangerous weapon on special teams. He blocked seven kicks as a freshman, three kicks as a sophomore and four kicks as a junior. It is entirely possible that the senior could end his college career with nearly 20 blocked kicks. Hunt may be best as a five-technique defensive end in a 3-4 defense for the NFL.