Tag: Mekhi Wingo

Lions end Mekhi Wingo’s 2024 NFL draft slide, pick him in sixth round

Mekhi Wingo lasted longer than many expected, but he’ll join a loaded roster in Detroit.

It took a bit longer than a lot of pre-draft projections were expecting, but [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] became the sixth LSU player selected in the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday when he was taken with the 189th pick in the sixth round by the Detroit Lions.

Wingo was widely seen as an early Day 3 or even potentially a late Day 2 pick, but instead, he slid to the draft’s penultimate round likely due to concerns about his size at 6-foot.

A transfer from Missouri, Wingo became an All-SEC player in two seasons at LSU and was largely the anchor of the defensive line, particularly stepping up in 2022 when fellow draft pick [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] went down with an ACL tear in the season opener.

Wingo appeared in 22 games with 20 starts in two seasons at LSU, totaling 71 tackles (11 for loss), 7.5 sacks and four pass breakups. He earned Third Team All-American and Second Team All-SEC honors in 2022 but was limited to just eight appearances in 2023 as he went down with an injury against Auburn.

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Lions select LSU DT Mekhi Wingo in the 6th round

Lions select LSU DT Mekhi Wingo in the 6th round

With the 189th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions selected LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo.

The Lions are adding in Wingo, a 6-foot, 280-pound Tiger who recorded 4.5 sacks and 5.5 TFLs in eight games in 2023. He missed the end of the regular season with a lower body injury that required surgery, but made it back in time to play in LSU’s bowl game.

He’s an undersized tackle but very active with his hands and has a motor that does not quit. Wingo did see some action playing at DE for LSU and he fits the size profile similar to how the Lions have deployed Josh Paschal and John Cominsky, only with shorter arms than both.

Wingo brings a lot of positive energy and vocal leadership. He earned the coveted No. 18 jersey at LSU, a sign of how quickly he fit in after transferring from Missouri after his freshman year.

 

DT Jordan Jefferson drafted in 4th round, becomes 3rd LSU player selected by Jaguars

Jordan Jefferson is joining Brian Thomas Jr. and Maason Smith in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are importing the bayou to northeast Florida, it seems.

Jacksonville selected LSU defensive tackle [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] with the 116th pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday, making him the third former Tiger the team has picked this weekend.

He joins first-round selection [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and second-round selection [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] in Duval. The move will also pair him and Smith up once again with former LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who was hired as the Jags’ linebackers coach this offseason.

Jefferson spent just one season at LSU as a graduate transfer from West Virginia. He began the season as a rotational player but became a starter when [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] went down with injury.

 

Jefferson appeared in 13 games with six starts at LSU in 2023, totaling 36 tackles (seven for loss) and 2.5 sacks.

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Where Jayden Daniels ranks among quarterbacks on Mel Kiper Jr.’s final draft board

Here’s where Jayden Daniels and other Tigers rank on Mel Kiper Jr.’s final draft board.

We’re just over 48 hours away from the start of the 2024 NFL draft, and that means it’s time for analysts and prognosticators to put forth their final predictions.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his final big board on Tuesday ahead of the draft, and when it came to LSU players, there weren’t a lot of changes from what we’ve seen over the past few months.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner — is still ranked second overall and among quarterbacks behind only Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, Daniels’ favorite college targets [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] rank fifth and 17th, respectively, as well as third and fourth among receivers.

The Tigers don’t have as many mid-round prospects as we’ve seen in past years. That trio comprises the only LSU players in the top 75 with [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] coming in at 78th overall followed by [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] at 92.

Those were the only players Kiper had in his top 150, though [autotag]Charles Turner III[/autotag] (No. 11 center), [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] (No. 12 defensive tackle), [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] (No. 32 inside linebacker), [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag] (No. 28 outside linebacker) and [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] (No. 30 safety) all cracked the positional rankings.

It likely won’t be as many players as LSU has seen drafted overall in some recent years, but it’s a top-heavy class for the Tigers, and Thursday’s Round 1 should be an eventful one.

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Photos of LSU players at the 2024 NFL combine, including Brian Thomas Jr.’s historic performance

Brian Thomas Jr. headlined LSU’s contingent in Indianapolis this weekend after he posted one of the best receiver combines ever.

The 2024 NFL scouting combine is in the books, and it was a busy weekend for former LSU Tigers and current draft hopefuls.

While LSU’s two biggest stars — quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], both of which are projected top 10 picks — didn’t participate in drills and only interviewed, a number of other players went through the full gauntlet.

That includes [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who may have helped his stock more than anyone in Indianapolis this week. Thomas registered the second-fasted 40-yard dash time among receivers and recorded a Relative Athletic Score that ranked 10th all-time at the position in the combine’s history.

It was also the best in program history for LSU.

Also in action this weekend were [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag], [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] and [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag]. Here are the photos from all of them in Indianapolis this weekend.

2024 Scouting Combine: Which DL, EDGE, and LB helped themselves the most?

2024 Scouting Combine: Which DL, EDGE, and LB helped themselves the most? (via @NFL_DougFarrar):

INDIANAPOLIS — For some draft prospects, the scouting combine on-field drills are mere confirmation for NFL teams looking to add a bit to positive tape study and personal interviews. For others, it’s a bigger deal, as great numbers might have some personnel people going back to that tape to see what they might have missed the first time around.

On Thursday afternoon and evening, we saw the defensive linemen, edge defenders, and off-ball linebackers do their thing on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. While a lot of prospects acquitted themselves well, here are the ones who did the most to stand out, and to potentially see their stocks rise through the next two months before the 2024 NFL draft is in the bag.

Vikings 2024 NFL draft scouting report: LSU DT Mekhi Wingo

LSU DT Mekhi Wingo was one of the better players on the LSU defense in 2023. How does that translate to his 2024 NFL Draft prospects?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2024 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at quarterback, running back, defensive line and edge rusher. We will also focus on wide receiver since it’s a loaded class and an increased chance to get a Stefon Diggs-type steal in the later rounds.

The Vikings are slated to have 9 picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.

PHOTOS: Mekhi Wingo records elite speed, explosiveness grades at NFL combine

Mekhi Wingo is undersized for his position, but helped make up for that with elite athletic testing.

[autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] was a bright spot on a defense that had its share of struggles over the past two seasons, and now the defensive tackle is off to the NFL.

Significantly undersized relative to NFL defensive tackles at 6-foot, 284 pounds, Wingo needed an impressive showing at the scouting combine this week. He did so on Friday as he recorded impressive athletic testing grades when it came to both speed and explosiveness.

His 40-yard dash of 4.85 seconds was particularly impressive, and his 31.5-inch vertical also put him in the elite range.

Wingo was a very impactful player at LSU, and while his size may be a limiting factor at the next level, he proved that he’s a tremendous athlete in Indianapolis. Here are the photos from his performance.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 7.0: Drafting to bolster the offense

What if the Minnesota Vikings used the NFL Draft to bolster the offense? Tyler Forness explores that exact, yet unlikely, strategy

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven-round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the second rendition of our seven-round mock draft series, what could a draft look like that has the Vikings focusing solely on the offensive side of the ball after using free agency to fix the defense?

Mock Draft 1.0
Mock Draft 2.0
Mock Draft 3.0
Mock Draft 4.0
Mock Draft 5.0
Mock Draft 6.0

2024 Scouting Combine: Which DL, EDGE, and LB helped themselves the most?

Which edge-rushers, defensive linemen, and linebackers helped themselves the most in the scouting combine drills? We have the answers here.

INDIANAPOLIS — For some draft prospects, the scouting combine on-field drills are mere confirmation for NFL teams looking to add a bit to positive tape study and personal interviews. For others, it’s a bigger deal, as great numbers might have some personnel people going back to that tape to see what they might have missed the first time around.

On Thursday afternoon and evening, we saw the defensive linemen, edge defenders, and off-ball linebackers do their thing on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. While a lot of prospects acquitted themselves well, here are the ones who did the most to stand out, and to potentially see their stocks rise through the next two months before the 2024 NFL draft is in the bag.