Moore needed to impress at the combine in order to keep pace with his competition.  Source:  US-Presswire

The combine can really hurt some players and I think Texas A&M defensive end Damontre Moore may be one of the victims this year.  Moore did not have a good combine, despite being a top pass rushing prospect entering it.  There is something to be said about trusting the tape, but it seemed that Moore had really been letting it go since the end of the college season.

This was most noticeable in the bench press, when Moore put up a defensive line-worst 18 reps.  But tying for worst in the bench press for his position group wasn’t just the end of it.  Moore also pulled up lame during his second attempt of the 40 yard dash after posting just a 4.95.

Moore will really have to prove himself at his Pro Day if he wants to continue being considered in the top-5.  I just don’t see him in the discussion at number two overall anymore, especially with Bjoern Werner, Margus Hunt, Ezekiel Ansah, and Dion Jordan at least performing as expected, if not improving their draft stock.

Moore is still a talented athlete, but teams will have to choose between trusting the tape or trusting his workout numbers.  I don’t see the Jacksonville Jaguars picking Moore when there are other options who perform well both on tape and in the workouts.

- Luke N. Sims

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Can Mingo do enough to get back in the discussion as the number two overall pick?  Source:  US-Presswire

There’s nothing quite like the combine to get your dreams going for your favorite team.  If a quarterback throws well, suddenly he could be the guy.  If a cornerback runs a superb 40, suddenly he could be the savior your franchise needs on defense.  The Jaguars will be needing an awful lot of help at pass rusher this offseason, so who will be the ones to stand out?  Who may falter?  Here are three pass rushing prospects we should look at.

Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

• Not being a senior, we haven’t been able to see Werner’s skills in some time now.  The combine will be an opportunity for Werner to really cement himself as a top three pick.  If he can edge out competitors like Damontre Moore and Jarvis Jones then picking Werner at number two overall would get an awful lot easier for the Jags.

Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M

• Like Werner, Moore needs to show off at the combine to show that he is worth being picked in the top three.  With room between a pass rusher, Star Lotulelei, and Luke Joeckel getting tighter with each mock draft, it will take a herculean effort for Moore to get teams to look past an apparent attitude and motivation problem.  A good way to show motivation would be outperforming expectations at the combine.  Moore may be able to move past Werner in some eyes because he is expected to be stronger and more athletic.

Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU

• Mingo may have the most to gain of the oft-mocked pass rushers.  Originally a more common pick at number two overall when mocks first started coming out, Mingo has really fallen off in favor of Moore and Werner to the Jags.  With the combine, Mingo can be re-inserted into the conversation.  He would be all too happy to get his name mentioned a few more times in the top pass rusher discussion, even if it is just leverage for when he slides out of the top five on draft day.

Other guys Jags fans should keep an eye on:

Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU

• Ansah is going to take the combine and use it as a jumping off point to the top 15 in the draft.  Watch him and see how well he does at becoming more relevant.

Margus Hunt, DE, SMU

• Is it too late to declare a combine winner?  Hunt will turn some heads with his incredibly raw abilities.  As a Jags fan I’m hoping he doesn’t turn too many heads and falls to the Jags in round two.  He’ll undoubtedly make a jump up draft boards though.

- Luke N. Sims

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• Bjoern Werner, DE, FSU: Among most mocks as of late, this seems to be the general consesus pick. Werner was a complete beast at Florida State. Last year alone he compiled 13 sacks, 18 TFLs, 8 pass break ups, and 42 tackles. The best thing about Werner in my humble opinion is that he seems to have a very high ceiling. In other words, he’s only going to get better. He has natural instincts and I really like the fact that he had 8 pass break ups during his senior season. We’ve seen over in Houston just how effective a defensive lineman can be when he gets his hands in the air. I’m not saying he’s JJ Watt, but right now it doesn’t look like we have anyone along the defensive line with the ability to consistently break up passes. I like Werner’s ability. I like Werner’s intangibles. This would be a “solid” pick if there is such a thing.
  

  Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

• Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M: Moore seems to be falling a little bit lately. I believe the general concern among most is that he’s not as good an athlete as advertised. He doesn’t close well, and looks to be playing complacently at times. He also plays tall. He’ll need to get those pads lower if he wants to stand a chance rushing the passer in the NFL. He’ll have a lot to prove at the end of the month.
• Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah: The Jaguars could use some meat in the middle, and Lotulelei is the the highest rated defensive tackle in this year’s draft. Of course most guys who are Star’s size (6’3, 320) are going to be good at stopping the run. You don’t draft a defensive tackle with the second overall pick, however,  unless he can do what separates good DTs from great DTs-collapse the pocket and put pressure on the passer. I just don’t agree with taking a guy at No. 2 who could possibly only be on the field for 2 downs and can’t contribute on the money downs.
• Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU: I honestly think that drafting Mingo is a possibility. If you look at Bradley’s LEO spot (lines up as an OLB at times) Mingo fits perfectly. Look at Bruce Irvin last year from Seattle. Everyone thought that was a reach, but it ended up working out quite well. You don’t draft a guy who has one specific skill set-unless it’s rushing the passer. Mingo looks to be a football player without a natural position, but as it stands the Jaguars only racked up 20 sacks in 2012 and with no one on the current roster who can play the LEO, it’s crucial that the Jaguars get this important piece in this year’s draft in order for the defense to be function effectively. There’s a lot of risk when it comes to Mingo. Could he be boom or bust? One thing is for sure; he should put on a great show at the combine.

The Jaguars have plenty of options with the second overall pick. It’s going to be quite interesting if the Chiefs draft Geno Smith and Luke Joeckel ends up sliding to No. 2. So I guess one could say that how the first picks shake out hangs on the Chiefs’ ability to re-sign LT Brandon Albert. I wouldn’t state that as “fact” but I’m sure that will come into play at one point or another.

Obviously these aren’t the only four players being mocked at 2. These just seem to be the names that pop up the most. I’m really not a fan of Moore. I could live with drafting Lotulelei. Mingo would make me nervous as to how it would pan out. Is Werner a “safe” pick? No. There’s no such thing as a safe pick, I don’t care what anyone tells you. There’s something about taking Werner at 2, however, that just doesn’t sit right with me. I can’t tell you why, so please don’t ask. Would it be more beneficial to trade down and stock pile picks? What do you guys think?

-David R. Johns