"For a time, Whitney Mercilus appeared too good to be true. A path that took him from being a complete unknown to All-American status for Illinois in a matter of months generated plenty of skeptics. But with outrageous statistics in the wake of an accident that lopped off the tip of his left index finger, the defensive end has been surrounded by intrigue as well. Assessments of his draft value include the fear that he is a one-hit wonder. But according to the many mock projections that make the rounds each year, the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder remains the subject of high interest in NFL circles as the draft approaches Thursday. "On the positive side, there's production, albeit one-year production, which scares some teams," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "They are crazy numbers for one year, which begs the question: where were you before that? But look on tape and he's a natural pass rusher and natural edge rusher."" Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/coll...cle_68e8a955-76e0-515e-97f7-4305623ff776.html
