2011 NFL Draft Player Profile | Mario Harvey 

Not many people know who Mario Harvey is. But they will if he gets a good chance to shine in the NFL. He attended Hargrave Military Academy where he got the name “Thumper”, because he will hit you.

He was just a two star recruit, and ended up at Marshall in the weak Conference USA, but he made a name for himself after starting for three seasons in the middle of the Marshall defense.

Player Name: Mario Harvey

Position: Inside Linebacker

School:  Marshall

Height: 5’11

Weight: 249

Strengths

When you think of a 250 pound football player, you don’t immediately think of the word “fast”. But Harvey has been clocked unofficially at 4.35 in the forty yard dash. Unfortunately he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine to see if that’s true, and I doubt he’s that fast. But still, even if he runs a 4.50 or 4.55 at the least, that goes a long way. Harvey is a big hitter who moves well sideline to sideline and is a sure tackler. He can make plays in space, and he isn’t afraid to get into traffic and make a play on the ball carrier. He’s a head hunter and a reliable defensive leader who will find a home with one lucky team in the NFL. He posted eight double digit tackles in 2010, including 16.5 tackles for loss. He has great instincts and has a knack for finding the football.

Weaknesses

Harvey’s lack of height will hurt as he’s just around 5’11. When you look at a prototypical middle linebacker, you want to see 6’2-6’4 and 250-260. Harvey plays a bit stiff in coverage and doesn’t have very good change of direction skills. His short term burst is adequate but not great, and his “4.35 forty yard dash” speed only goes so far when playing middle linebacker. He is not much of a blitzing linebacker as he makes most of his plays behind the line because of his great instincts. He isn’t the strongest player and sometimes struggles to get off of blocks.

Draft Range

I’m a bit higher on Harvey than most, but I think he could end up in the third round because of his speed and tackling ability. However, the fourth round is ideal for Harvey with the fifth round being his floor to be drafted. Teams like Houston, Cleveland, Arizona, Detroit, Miami, St. Louis, and Jacksonville will all take a hard look at Harvey in the middle rounds.

NFL Comparison: London Fletcher