Scouting Report
Orakpo is a great prospect, if for no other reason than a severe shortage of defensive ends in this draft, with his size. He's got good height, long arms, and a strong build. Speaking of strong, Orakpo is a gym rat, who's power translates well to the field. He can shed blockers, and is a very aggressive tackler. When his motor is going full speed, he's all but unblockable. Here in lies the problem. Orakpo has been known to have lapses in his intensity and effort, and when that happens, he all but vanishes from the game. Another thing that Orakpo will need to do is develop secondary pass rush moves, because just sheer athletic ability won't beat NFL tackles consistently. Overall I like Orakpo as the best 4-3 DE in the draft, but as we've seen, some 3-4 teams wants bigger OLB's so Orakpo's versatility will also benefit him.
Draft Status
Depending on what team looks for a defensive end first, Orakpo could be the first or second defensive end off the board. I can definitely see a team like Cleveland drafting Orakpo to come in and play that big stout rush OLB in the 3-4. If they pass, I can certainly see Oakland loving those triangle numbers and snatching him up.
Final analysis
Coming soon…
Reminds me of-Darren Howard
Like Howard Orakpo probably won't ever put up staggering tackle numbers, but in terms of getting to the quarterback, Orakpo could be great. explosive first step, big punch, and a finisher. He's got some injury concerns that you hope don't haunt him during his NFL career, but he really stepped his game up in a big way this year.
Red Flags: None
Scouting Report written by Curtis Popejoy |
