2011 NFL Mock Draft: Colts Now Eye Corey Liuget, DT From Illinois

by Brad Wells on Mar 8, 2011 10:59 AM EST in 2011 NFL Draft

SB Nation's weekly Mock Draft update, coordinated by my buddy Brian Gailliford, once again has the Colts using their No. 22 pick on a tackle. this time, it isn't Derek Sherrod, Stephen Paea, or Nate Solder. Instead, it's Corey Liuget, a defensive tackle from Illinois that many Big Ten fans are very familiar with.

22. Indianapolis Colts: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois. There are a couple of tackles – Smith and Solder, to be specific – that Bill Polian should consider if they’re available here. With both of those guys gone, defensive tackle should be the focus – and Liuget’s size and athleticism make him a very strong fit up front for the Colts.

Again, just from a pure need perspective, I would be very happy if the Colts used the No. 22 on Liuget. Indy has absolutely zero chance of winning a Super Bowl if the starting DTs for this defense are Fili Moala and Daniel Muir. An upgrade at DT is a big priority, especially if management is stupid enough to let Antonio Johnson walk.

My interest in Liuget was further peaked when Joe Kutsunis of SB Nation's U. of Illinois blog Hail To The Orange did a guest draft article at SB Nation Indiana on the aspiring NFL DT. Not surprisingly, Joe raved over Liuget. His comments, and video, are after the jump.

Joe Kutsunis at SB Nation Indiana:

Liugets strength in college has always been in the pass rush, as can be demonstrated in his fantastic performances against Indiana's Ben Chappell and Baylor's Robert Griffin III. Liuget's ability to generate a pass rush in a three technique would be a great fit for the Colts' cover two defense.

Liuget has great speed for a lineman, and with that speed he should be attractive to a lot of NFL scouts, and his performances in off season workouts has led to his sudden rise in profile, having been a questionable second rounder when he decided to forgo his senior season for the NFL.

Liuget seems to me to be somewhat comparable to the Bears now former defensive tackle Tommie Harris, with a similar height and build, but without any history of injury, but it is unclear at this point if Liuget can reach the heights that Harris did in his rookie year.

Joe was also kind enough to find for us a profile video of Liuget.

Again, I'm not screaming like the raving lunatic I usually am on draft day if Liuget's name is called at pick No. 22 for the Colts. He seems to fit the bill as a Tampa-2 tackle. The question is, will the Colts break from tradition and draft a DT in Round One?

Tweet Comment 11 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I like Liuget

I do like him and if he falls to No.22, the Colts should get him. Like I said before, Liuget will pay more dividends against balanced teams by pushing the pocket and making Freeney & Mathis more effective. Stephen Paea is more effective on the first 2 downs but not a good pocket pusher, Liuget is, and that is why he would be a great pick at No.22.

Yes, AJ does not have stamina to play NT on all downs, and we can get that run stuffer in rounds 3 or 4 but a DT that plays the run well enough but pushes the pocket even better are hard to find.

Make no mistake, Liuget is not an every down NT, he is the ultimate UT who can play NT on passing downs however alongside Moala. Teams like the Pats and Saints that pass on early downs, Liuget should be in on early downs, that is why I like him. Get the talented UT first, then a rotational NT like Fua later.

by chad72 on Mar 8, 2011 11:04 AM EST reply actions

...

Indy has absolutely zero chance of winning a Super Bowl if the starting DTs for this defense are Fili Moala and Daniel Muir.

/rolls eyes.

"I suppose that writers should, in a way, feel flattered by the censorship laws. They show a primitive fear and dread at the fearful magic of print." - John Mortimer
Proud driver of the Polian for President bus

by JesusNinja13 on Mar 8, 2011 12:31 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

AGREED

we need a big bad strong mean DT

by OBGYNOSUPREME on Mar 8, 2011 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not sure you.......... never mind.

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Bloodninja on Mar 8, 2011 2:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Don't worry about it.

lol

by JesusNinja13 on Mar 8, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions

I was under the impression that we needed a NT, not a UT.

Isn’t Liuget a UT? I think that would be a waste of a pick.

by JesusNinja13 on Mar 8, 2011 12:31 PM EST reply actions

We need an NT and UT, IMO

Yes, we do need the NT more than the UT, given AJ’s injury history and stamina issues, IMO.

However, we have had issues getting off the field on third downs with tweeners like Foster & Dawson besides Moala not being able to beat one-on-ones lined up as one of the UTs. So, we would like to have an upgrade there, IMO. But probably it does not warrant a first round pick, maybe a good upgrade in rounds 3 or 4, hopefully.

Our NTs have been around the 310-320 lb range, which AJ is, so the candidates I like for those are Jarvis Jenkins of Clemson and Sione Fua of Stanfard (if they put on about 5-10 lbs which should be easy to do). So, round 2 or round 3 picks can address the NT position, IMO.

by chad72 on Mar 8, 2011 12:50 PM EST up reply actions

Moala is good enough for UT.

IMO.

by JesusNinja13 on Mar 8, 2011 1:05 PM EST up reply actions

I forgot about Ricardo

I think Ricardo Mathews is our other future UT if he continues to progress.

I was talking about the other UT candidate outside Moala since Moala cannot play all downs. Besides, Moala can play NT on passing downs, he has the bulk to do so. The last thing I want to see in a Patriots game tape is Foster and Dawson getting man handled in their one-on-ones while playing rotational UT. So, hopefully Ricardo develops into the other UT.

I still remember Barry Cofield getting a sack against the Pats in the waning seconds of SB 42 after Eli gave the Giants the go ahead 17-14 lead. Cofield was playing behind Tuck and Robbins in the middle, with Umenyiora and Strahan on the flanks. You need the quality depth on D-line since you just cannot time the breathers during a game, IMO. That would be a pipe dream for the Colts for now, let us hope it changes.

by chad72 on Mar 8, 2011 1:34 PM EST up reply actions