Posts Tagged ‘Brian Orakpo’

Every year, there are players who wow talent evaluators at the combine with their elite athletic abilities, and this year should be no different.

So I would like to draw your attention to 10 players to whom you should pay special attention in Indianapolis this weekend:

10) Terrance Taylor-DT/Michigan/ht. 6’0/ wt. 308 

Training with Michigan strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis should allow Taylor to shine. Has very good top end speed for a DT. Great strength should give him 30+ reps on bench press.

9) Alex Mack-C/Cal/ht. 6’4/wt. 316

Word at the Senior Bowl was that he has a rock solid body. Could be a top bench presser.

8 ) Darrius Heyward-Bey-WR/Maryland/ht. 6’3/wt. 206

Incredible straight-line speed. Will have one of the fastest 40 times.

7) Jason Smith-OT/Baylor/ht. 6’5/wt. 305

Should be great in the positional drills. He has terrific feet, and is very agile.

6) Jarron Gilbert- DT/San Jose State/ht. 6’6/wt. 290

Small school prospect that is extraordinarily strong. I want him on my team!

5) Evander Hood-DT/Missouri/ht. 6’4/wt. 295

One of my favorites.  Expect him to put up good numbers all around. Scouts will love his intensity in position drills.

4) Percy Harvin-WR/Florida/ht. 5’11/wt. 195

Not many guys his size can bench press 400 lbs and run a sub 4.40 forty yard dash.

3) Vontae Davis-CB/Illinois/ht. 6’0/wt. 203

Needs a great showing to offset his conduct problems during the season. Could be the fastest cornerback at the event.

2) Aaron Curry-OLB/Wake Forest/ht. 6’3/wt. 247

Super strong, and rumor has it that he is faster than teammate Alphonso Smith (Cornerback). Will hold his place among the top 5 players in this draft with a strong showing.

1) Brian Orakpo- DE/Texas/ht. 6’4/wt. 260

I expect numbers similar to Vernon Gholston last year. Orakpo might help himself more than any player in the combine.  An absolute beast. Check out the video on him here.

(part 1)

Defensive Ends

No player in this year’s draft has solidified himself as the clear-cut number 1 pick thus far. And frankly, I am not sure anyone WILL run away from the competition like you so often see elite players do this time of year. I can’t say there are any of Mario Williams or Peyton Manning’s caliber who are franchise players. Nevertheless, don’t judge this year’s class on just its top 5 or 10 players, but more so by its depth from pick 1 down to pick 200.

With that said, let me start by discussing the defensive ends.

Like I said before, there may be no Mario Williams types, but a handful of ends will be chosen in the first round alone. This class of ends is mainly suited for defensive schemes where speed and athleticism are emphasized, namely the 4-3 end or 3-4 rush linebacker spots. Brian Orakpo (Texas), Everette Brown (Florida State), Larry English (Northern Illinois), Tyson Jackson (LSU), and Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech) could all go in the first or second round. In fact, depending on who drafts them, English, Orakpo, and Brown are all possibilities to bounce to outside linebacker in the 3-4 schemes.

My favorite player in this group is Brian Orakpo. If it weren’t for frequent injury concerns and some inconsistent technique, I would seriously consider him to be a top 5 pick. Keep an eye on him during the combine (benches 515 lbs. and runs the 40 yard dash in 4.6 seconds). I had a class with “Rack daddy,” and he is a monster in person!  To give you a comparison from last year, think Vernon Gholston type of build. Orakpo will probably do as well at the combine or even better!

Unfortunately, Michael Johnson will also shine at the combine, which may coax teams to grade him higher than he should be. In my opinion, he just disappears on film at times, and seems to be a major underperformer. He is a serious boom or bust type of player who I wouldn’t use a first round pick on.

Next installation will be looking at the linebackers. So check back soon!