INDIANAPOLISLuke Kuechly is the All-American kid, coachs favorite, never got in trouble, consistently productive on the field. Heck, he even wears glasses that make him look like a chemistry major.
Vontaze Burfict is a little different. Was benched for committing too many personal fouls. Got into a locker room fight with a teammate. Lost speed and struggled to make plays after he gained too much weight.
So youre the Eagles. You desperately need a young, active, playmaking inside linebacker. Kuechly is the safer choice, but Burfict might have more of a long-term upside.
Sound familiar? Seems like 2010, when the Eagles took the safer pick (Brandon Graham) over the risky guy (Jason Pierre-Paul). Hmmmm.
Kuechly, a junior from Boston College, is a solid prospect. He met with the Eagles Sunday night and if mock drafts are any indication, he could very well be the Eagles guy at No. 15.
Kuechly said B.C. teammate Mark Herzlich, a Philly native and Conestoga High graduate who just finished his rookie year with the Giants after beating cancer, has talked up Philadelphia to him.
Mark loves it there, he said. That's his home, obviously. I've talked to Mark about plenty of things.
NFL
Presumably, the Eagles could stick Kuechly or Burfict in the middle immediately, move Jamar Chaney back outside and have two pretty good pieces in place at linebacker.
Kuechly said at the NFL Scouting Combine Saturday that he keeps hearing Eagles but doesnt want to get ahead of himself.
I try not to look at that stuff, he said. In order to get there, you gotta do well, you gotta succeed, you gotta stay healthy, you gotta do all the things right here ... to even have that opportunity. So for me, I've heard it from different people, friends and family and other people who have been looking at that stuff, but for me, the primary concern for me right now is doing well here and taking care of business here before I can even look at that stuff.
Kuechlyits pronounced KEEK-leestands 6-foot-2, 240 pounds and is considered the best pure middle linebacker available.
The Eagles, as we all know, havent taken a linebacker in the first round in 33 years, since Jerry Robinson in 1979. Kuechly could break that streak. Its not a lock Kuechly will be around at No. 15, but the Eagles certainly have the extra picks to move up a couple spots if they wish.
What kind of player is he?
Instinctual player is something that pops up for a lot of people, Kuechly said. That, coupled with, I think I'm a smart player. I think I do a pretty good job preparing myself. That's somthing I take pride in. Being prepared and knowing what each individual guy is responsible for. I can point at different guys and let them know what they're doing if they have questions. I take pride in having the ability to do that. And doing that, and knowing what everyone is doing, you can play faster. It allows you to be more successful.
Then theres Burfict, like Kuechly, a junior eligible. The comparisons stop there.
Burfict spent much of his time at the Combine in full damage control mode. He knew his reputation was awful coming out of Arizona State. And he knew he had to convince coaches and scouts that hes not a bad guy.
Im not the guy everyone assumed I am, Burfict said. People just have the wrong picture. ... I heard that Im not coachable at times, but I think thats not true. I love being coached, want to get better and hopefully can be in the Hall of Fame one day.
Burfict is in a similar position to DeSean Jackson four years ago. Jackson had first-round talent but he didnt get picked until the second round because there were so many concerns about him personally. Burfict, similarly, could drop into the second round despite potential first-round talent.
Kuechly is considered more of a run-stuffer than Burfict, but Burfict is a bigger hitter and a superior pass rusher and probably better in coverage.
The biggest concern with Burfict revolves around a locker room fight with teammate Kevin Ozier, an ASU receiver.
It started in 7-on-7 and he ran a route and hit me, and were not supposed to hit each other in 7-on-7, said Burfict, who didnt do any media interviews during the season.
We had an argument, and we brought it into the locker room. We started chattering about it, he started roughhousing me, he pushed me and my first instinct was to swing, and everyone thinks Im the bad guy because my first instinct was to swing on the guy.
Asked if it would be risky for a team to draft him, Burfict said: No sir. I think I will come in and change the whole atmosphere, be a leader and bring aggression to the game and the whole side of the defense.
The questions surrounding Burfict arent just about his off-the-field habits. He was inconsistent this past season, something he blames on a weight increase.
I played average, he said. I couldve played better. Thats what hurt me at times. The coaches kind of messed me up. I didnt know if I would start a game or be benched. It hurt me, but I tried to fight through it.
Burfict, who stands 6-2, said he played last year at 260 but is now down to 248. Burfict, Kuechly and all the combine linebackers are working out at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday.
I gained like five pounds in the off-season, Burfict said. I thought it would be best for me, but obviously it wasnt. I was getting tired faster.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com