*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Markus Golden Viewed as Mid-Round Prospect
Updated March 23, 2015By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Early in the 2014 season, Missouri defensive end Markus Golden’s play helped Shane Ray jump start his breakout year. Golden was on fire in September, making a lot of plays in the backfield before an injury robbed him of a lot of the middle portion of the season. Still, Golden recorded 10 sacks, 78 tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, two passes batted and three forced fumbles as a senior.
Because of his pass-rushing production, there are some projections of Golden being a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. However, the 6-foot-2, 260-pounder didn’t impress at the Senior Bowl, as he made the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker. Golden looked more like a tweener and may not have a true position. As a result, teams feel that Golden is more likely to be a mid-rounder.
Sources we’ve spoken to say that Golden has a shot at sneaking into the late picks in the second round. However, he is more likely to be a third- or fourth-round pick. Other pass-rushers who have been similar that have gone in that range include Alex Okafor (2013) and Carl Bradford (2014). Golden would fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, as he doesn’t have the size to play defensive end in a 4-3 and isn’t the athlete to play outside linebacker in a 4-3.
Having said that, the NFL personnel we’ve spoken to aren’t completely down on him. Some believe he’ll be a nice value pick if he drops into the fourth round, considering his production at Missouri.
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