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The Philadelphia Eagles took a "bigger people" with their final pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. The team drafted Boston College defensive end Brian Mihalik at No. 237 overall. Bleeding Green Nation's Ben Natan profiled Mihalik recently, but I thought it would also be useful to acquire an insider's insight. In order to learn more about the Eagles' new defender, I reached out to Boston College SB Nation blog BC Interruption. A.J. Black (@BChysteria) was kind enough to answer my questions.
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1) What are his strengths?
Clearly Mihalik's biggest strength is his size. But he is deceiving, as he is relatively quick in his movements for a player that is 6'9. Many college defenders got beaten off the ball by Mihalik who continued to improve during his years at Boston College.
2) What are his weaknesses?
He has a tendency to disappear in games. Physical blockers can overwhelm him, and I never saw a great second move to help him counter that initial push. He strikes me as the type of player that has the tools, but currently right now I don't see him getting back elite guards and tight ends in the NFL.
3) Mihalik is big and athletic, but he’s raw. Were you surprised to see him drafted?
Yes. Even with his size he was never a dominant player at Boston College. To be fair to Brian he improved every year, and he had his moments his senior year. But large ends are kind of a rarity in the NFL, as linemen can get under the pads and hold them in place, so yes I was I surprised that Chip Kelly drafted him. Maybe new QB coach Ryan Day put in a good word for him.
4) Any idea what he’s like from a personality standpoint?
As far as I know he was well liked in the locker room.
5) How do you see his NFL career playing out?
I'm intrigued. I definitely could see him being worth a flyer in the draft, because his size is so off the chains. He's a smart player, who will learn quickly, and I'd love to see him latch on with a team, but I have to wonder if he has enough explosiveness to earn playing time.
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Thanks again to A.J. Make sure you check out BC Interruption.