Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas

[Blake]

Lets get some thoughts on this guy. Will he be around at 15? Will he be a DE or 3-4 OLB?

I just wanted to get a thread on Brian as I feel he could be a potential target of the Texans. He is roughly 6'4 260lbs. Won the Nagurski and Hendricks award as a senior netting 11 sacks and 4 forced fumbles as a senior.

Apparently people think he is slipping on draft boards due to not coming to the senior bowl, and some thinking he is more of a tweener for 3-4 OLB. I personally think he will shoot back up once they get him in the combine drills.

[WolverineFan]

He could play either in my opinion. If he were drafted by a 3-4 team he would probably just be a stand-up end and rush every play, ala Jerome Harrison & Lamaar Woodley of the Steelers or Joey Porter on the Dolphins. If he were drafted by a 4-3 team he would just play regular DE, probably weakside.

In my opinion he will be gone by the time the Texans are on the board. His stock is dropping now, but once he gets more exposure to the media (ESPN) his stock will go back up, especially after the combine. He will have a Mario-like combine and everybody will be wondering why he wasn't a consensus top 10 pick.

[bah007]

IMO, There is no such thing as draft stock. There is how good a guy is and how good he isn't.

Fans and media are dropping this guy's "stock" because he isn't in the public eye right now. That is ridiculous. The guy is going to drop bombs at the combine and will wind up as a top 10 pick.

Fans and media will then credit that to his "stock" going back up at the combine, when in reality, that's where he was the whole time. We just weren't paying attention to him because he wasn't in the all star games and such.

Orakpo can play rush LB in a 3-4 and quick DE in a 4-3. He has the best combination of speed and power of all the DE's in this draft class. He is decent enough against the run that I wouldn't call his ability a weakness, but it isn't a strength either. He can improve in that area.

If a team is looking for a pass rusher, the first names you will hear this year will be Orakpo (4-3) and Clint Sintim (3-4).

[Honoring Earl 34]

LZ said that scouts don't believe Orapko has an elite first step . I think guys like Orapko and Kruger have a smaller bust factor because they are relentless , which may be just as important as an elite first step .

[Blake]

I agree that he is a top 10 pick. People switching to the 3-4 from the 4-3 will love his blend of speed, size, strength and high motor. I really think there is less than a 5% chance of him dropping to us.

A 3-4 team will get him IMO. With the way teams have seen Woodley and Harrison have played this year for the Steelers, Orakpo should be an intriguing pick.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by Super Mario

I agree that he is a top 10 pick. People switching to the 3-4 from the 4-3 will love his blend of speed, size, strength and high motor. I really think there is less than a 5% chance of him dropping to us.

A 3-4 team will get him IMO. With the way teams have seen Woodley and Harrison have played this year for the Steelers, Orakpo should be an intriguing pick.

It seems that going from a DE to OLB is a huge step . The only one at the top of my head that made it look easy was Merriman . How many guys did the Texans try before they found Babin .... JK .

[bah007]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

It seems that going from a DE to OLB is a huge step . The only one at the top of my head that made it look easy was Merriman . How many guys did the Texans try before they found Babin .... JK .

LaMarr Woodley & DeMarcus Ware played 4-3 DE in college & 3-4 rush LB in the pros.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by bah007

LaMarr Woodley & DeMarcus Ware played 4-3 DE in college & 3-4 rush LB in the pros.

OK ... is this the exception or the rule .

[bah007]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

OK ... is this the exception or the rule .

Neither. I don't have enough information to debate it either way.

You just said the only guy you could remember was Merriman so I added two other top guys who are in the same category.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by bah007

Neither. I don't have enough information to debate it either way.

You just said the only guy you could remember was Merriman so I added two other top guys who are in the same category.

The two best 3-4 olb in the NFL are Harrison and Ware . One was a 1st rd. pick the other an undrafted free agent .

I think one 3-4 will take Cushing over the three hybrid DE/OLBs .

[bah007]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

The two best 3-4 olb in the NFL are Harrison and Ware . One was a 1st rd. pick the other an undrafted free agent .

I think one 3-4 will take Cushing over the three hybrid DE/OLBs .

In terms of 3-4, I think Sintim & Maybin will be the first to go. Sintim played the position in college. Maybin will have to convert or gain weight to play DE,

Cushing looks like a 4-3 SLB to me. Doesn't mean he can't play somewhere else. I just think that is his best fit.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by bah007

In terms of 3-4, I think Sintim & Maybin will be the first to go. Sintim played the position in college. Maybin will have to convert or gain weight to play DE,

Cushing looks like a 4-3 SLB to me. Doesn't mean he can't play somewhere else. I just think that is his best fit.

It seems if a player has to loose weight to play OLB ( Babin ) then he's a buffet away from not being dominant unless of course he goes the Merriman route ( HGH ) .

[threetoedpete]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

The two best 3-4 olb in the NFL are Harrison and Ware . One was a 1st rd. pick the other an undrafted free agent .

I think one 3-4 will take Cushing over the three hybrid DE/OLBs .

I think they'll be a run on those guys. Once everyone plugs the first hole....they'll start dropping like dominoes in the second round.

Orakpo started out as the rover guy. He moved to the DE because he was the strongest, quickest guy they had. McClain has already pointed out that highly rated Texas DL tend to bust out. That coupled with the fact that he's been injury prone, makes it highly unlikely that we'll make a move up deal.

TBS, If i was the GM and he made past Oakland I'd move up and go get him. I believe he's the second coming of Elvin Bethea.

[bah007]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

It seems if a player has to loose weight to play OLB ( Babin ) then he's a buffet away from not being dominant unless of course he goes the Merriman route ( HGH ) .

Indeed.

The best hybrids are the DEs who might be too small to play DE.

You don't want the OLBs who are too big to play OLB.

[PHAROAH]

He will be better at DE in a 4-3 and if fall to us at #15 lets do it hands down.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by threetoedpete

I think they'll be a run on those guys. Once everyone plugs the first hole....they'll start dropping like dominoes in the second round.

Orakpo started out as the rover guy. He moved to the DE because he was the strongest, quickest guy they had. McClain has already pointed out that highly rated Texas DL tend to bust out. That coupled with the fact that he's been injury prone, makes it highly unlikely that we'll make a move up deal.

TBS, If i was the GM and he made past Oakland I'd move up and go get him. I believe he's the second coming of Elvin Bethea.

http://www.gbnreport.com/2009projection.html

1 Detroit*Andre Smith OT Alabama
2 St. Louis *Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
3 Kansas City *Matthew Stafford QBGeorgia
4 Seattle Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
5 Cleveland Brian Orakpo DE Texas
6 Cincinnati Michael Oher OT Mississippi
7 Oakland Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
8 Jacksonville Jason Smith OT Baylor
9 Green Bay Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
10 San Francisco *Aaron Maybin LB Penn State
11 Buffalo *Everette Brown DE Florida State
12 Denver *Chris Wells RB OhioState

GBN thinks that there will be a run also .

[Honoring Earl 34]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGUc3UL64f0

[BigBull17]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

http://www.gbnreport.com/2009projection.html

1 Detroit*Andre Smith OT Alabama
2 St. Louis *Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
3 Kansas City *Matthew Stafford QBGeorgia
4 Seattle Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
5 Cleveland Brian Orakpo DE Texas
6 Cincinnati Michael Oher OT Mississippi
7 Oakland Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
8 Jacksonville Jason Smith OT Baylor
9 Green Bay Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
10 San Francisco *Aaron Maybin LB Penn State
11 Buffalo *Everette Brown DE Florida State
12 Denver *Chris Wells RB OhioState

GBN thinks that there will be a run also .

If Curry makes it to 9, I would want to move up there.

[Ole Miss Texan]

I havn't really seen too much of Orakpo or enough that just makes me think he's a top 5 pick, which he's been talked about for so long. I'm starting to warm up about the idea of him on our team if he makes it to us, but as mentioned these 3-4 defenses ahead of us are going to pick apart the defensive talent at the top of the draft.

3-4 OLBs
Brian Orakpo
Everette Brown
Aaron Maybin

MLB
Rey Mauluga

DT/NT
BJ Raji

Other LBs could play in 3-4
Aaron Curry
Brian Cushing

You look at all the defensive front 7 talent at the top of this draft and they can all fit in 3-4 schemes. I think it's just going to depend on teams preferences b/c theres a chance for anyone of these guys, except for Curry, to slip to us.

I personally want the best 4-3 pass rushing DE of the bunch, but I don't want it at the expense of passing up a better player at another position.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Ole Miss Texan

I havn't really seen too much of Orakpo or enough that just makes me think he's a top 5 pick, which he's been talked about for so long. I'm starting to warm up about the idea of him on our team if he makes it to us, but as mentioned these 3-4 defenses ahead of us are going to pick apart the defensive talent at the top of the draft.

3-4 OLBs
Brian Orakpo
Everette Brown
Aaron Maybin

MLB
Rey Mauluga

DT/NT
BJ Raji

Other LBs could play in 3-4
Aaron Curry
Brian Cushing

You look at all the defensive front 7 talent at the top of this draft and they can all fit in 3-4 schemes. I think it's just going to depend on teams preferences b/c theres a chance for anyone of these guys, except for Curry, to slip to us.

I personally want the best 4-3 pass rushing DE of the bunch, but I don't want it at the expense of passing up a better player at another position.

We will have our shot at 2-3 of these players. Kind of exciting to predict who it will be.