In his latest 2012 NFL mock draft, NFL.com's Charley Casserley projects that the New York Jets will select Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus with the 16th overall pick. Casserley calls Mercilus "a better outside rush prospect than Melvin Ingram." Some mock drafts have had the Jets going with Ingram -- a defensive end from South Carolina -- in the first round.
Related: NFL Draft 2012, Whitney Mercilus: NFL.com's Greg Cosell Projects Illinois DE Will Be Taken By Titans
In a breakout 2011 season with Illinois, Mercilus finished with 16 sacks and a total of 22.5 tackles for loss in 13 games played. He led the Big Ten Conference in each of those categories.
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