Alex Okafor

[BProland85]

Im really starting to warm up to this guy and I think he could be had in the early 2nd after a trade down. He has the size at 6-4 265 pounds to be an all around OLB for us. We currently dont have an OLB than can rush the passer and is also very good against the run. Okafor would be that. Instead of overspending on a big OLB like Spencer or Kruger, this could be the way to go since Mathis is getting up there in age, and will need to be replaced in a year or 2.

 

Then with our two 3rd round picks after the trade down we can address OL and DL. Unless a stud like Warmack, Lotulelei, or Jarvis Jones falls to us, Id be all for doing this.

[HtownColt]

http://youtu.be/ExvDtq8Whq0

 

http://youtu.be/Sk8xNaqN6bc

 

 

2011:

 

http://youtu.be/sbdojf5lV1k

 

http://youtu.be/uOs4-byGqc4

[wig]

Okafor has shown nothing to suggest he could be a successful OLB in the NFL.

[Holden89]

Well, it would really depend on what we do in FA, and who falls where in the draft. IF we end up signing Kruger or Spencer, forget Okafor. However, if we don't (i hope we don't...) quite a few people would have to be gone for me to be alright with snagging Okafor. Names like Rhodes, Elam, Vacarro, or even Fluker.  Also, one of the stud Guards COULD fall to us. Who knows.

 

 

 

I wouldn't hate Okafor, though.

[HtownColt]

http://youtu.be/QmfJWnAQFls

[Gavin]

Okafor has shown nothing to suggest he could be a successful OLB in the NFL.

How you can say 23 sacks and multiple tackles for loss standing up on both the on both the weak and strong side as well as sometimes over the middle over the course of his career is beyond me

[Nobody]

How you can say 23 sacks and multiple tackles for loss standing up on both the on both the weak and strong side as well as sometimes over the middle over the course of his career is beyond me

BECAUSE STATS DON'T MATTER! I'm so tired of stats being used for prospects, they only matter if they didn't produce. Colt Brennan was the best college football player ever, how'd that translate?

[NewColtsFan]

Well....   I'd be more comfortable saying stats don't matter in every case....   sometimes they do matter.

 

Sometimes, like in the Colt Brennan case, or Kellen Moore for another,  they don't.

 

For Okafor, I think the bigger issue is can he play OLB?    He's been a 4-3 DE...   not everyone can make that conversion.

 

Some can....    but many can not.

[HtownColt]

Well....   I'd be more comfortable saying stats don't matter in every case....   sometimes they do matter.

 

Sometimes, like in the Colt Brennan case, or Kellen Moore for another,  they don't.

 

For Okafor, I think the bigger issue is can he play OLB?    He's been a 4-3 DE...   not everyone can make that conversion.

 

Some can....    but many can not.

he has played MLB, DT, DE, and OLB, stand up rusher and hand down rusher in his career at Texas

[NewColtsFan]

he has played MLB, DT, DE, and OLB, stand up rusher and hand down rusher in his career at Texas

 

OK....   but he hasn't played all of them well.    And he couldn't play all of them in the NFL.

 

The college game and the NFL game are not the same.    

 

So, the question remains,  what is his best position.    The NFL.com website suggests it's as a strong side (left) DE in a 4-3.

 

Doesn't say he can't play in a 3-4,  but it's not clear that he can....

[HtownColt]

OK....   but he hasn't played all of them well.    And he couldn't play all of them in the NFL.

 

The college game and the NFL game are not the same.    

 

So, the question remains,  what is his best position.    The NFL.com website suggests it's as a strong side (left) DE in a 4-3.

 

Doesn't say he can't play in a 3-4,  but it's not clear that he can....

I say he can from what I seen with my own eyes at the games and on tape. he rushes the passer just as good as when he does with a hand in the dirt, and he did his fair job of dropping in his zones when asked to drop in coverage and stout against the run. so he doesn't have to come off the field in our nickel packages which we stay in and play in our base defense standing up. just one man's opinion

[tydontlie]

Not really a big fan of Okafor much better talent will be there when we pick..we have a top 25 pick in the draft and I would like a top 25 talent, and Okafor is not a top 25 player in this draft IMO.

[NewColtsFan]

Not really a big fan of Okafor much better talent will be there when we pick..we have a top 25 pick in the draft and I would like a top 25 talent, and Okafor is not a top 25 player in this draft IMO.

 

That assumes that we're staying with the 24th pick....

 

Who knows....   we might trade down and pick in the mid to low 30's....

 

That's my hope anyway....

[tydontlie]

That assumes that we're staying with the 24th pick....

 

Who knows....   we might trade down and pick in the mid to low 30's....

 

That's my hope anyway....

 

 

Correct. If we stay which I believe we will (more likely than not) then I hope Okafor isn't our selection.

[wig]

I say he can from what I seen with my own eyes at the games and on tape. he rushes the passer just as good as when he does with a hand in the dirt, and he did his fair job of dropping in his zones when asked to drop in coverage and stout against the run. so he doesn't have to come off the field in our nickel packages which we stay in and play in our base defense standing up. just one man's opinion

Only problem is that scouts disagree with the eyes of TX fans' eyes.

[HtownColt]

Only problem is that scouts disagree with the eyes of TX fans' eyes.

i dont like Texas i like some of their players though, im an A&M fan , its just I stay 20min from UT campus I go to their games.

 

plenty of scouts says he can here are a few:

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2012/08/alex-okafor-scouting-report.html

http://www.battleredblog.com/2013/1/17/3888308/scouting-report-alex-okafor

 

were in nickel 65% of the time anyway its good to have a guy like Okafor who can do it all well

[wig]

i dont like Texas i like some of their players though, im an A&M fan , its just I stay 20min from UT campus I go to their games.

 

plenty of scouts says he can here are a few:

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2012/08/alex-okafor-scouting-report.html

http://www.battleredblog.com/2013/1/17/3888308/scouting-report-alex-okafor

I have zero clue who either of those guys are and the first link has him rated outside of the ten best players at his position. I don't put anymore stock into what they have to say than a random poster on here.

[HtownColt]

I have zero clue who either of those guys are and the first link has him rated outside of the ten best players at his position. I don't put anymore stock into what they have to say than a random poster on here.

o i get it, your looking for your tv scouts/informants like Mayock, Kiper, Mcshay and people like that. "He's tough. He's got some natural pass rush ability. He does everything pretty well, but I don't think he does anything elite. I like him better with his hands in the dirt going forward, but I don't doubt that he could play 3-4 outside linebacker"-Mayock

 

were looking for a rush linebacker anyway, he fits with what the ravens are doing with Suggs, and what Rex did with Calvin Pace with the Jets

[wig]

o i get it, your looking for your tv scouts/informants like Mayock, Kiper, Mcshay and people like that. "He's tough. He's got some natural pass rush ability. He does everything pretty well, but I don't think he does anything elite. I like him better with his hands in the dirt going forward, but I don't doubt that he could play 3-4 outside linebacker"-Mayock

 

were looking for a rush linebacker anyway, he fits with what the ravens are doing with Suggs, and what Rex did with Calvin Pace with the Jets

Not exactly a resounding endorsement, is it?

[HtownColt]

Not exactly a resounding endorsement, is it?

nobody is arguing that Okafor is at his best with hand in the dirt, its just he is more than capable of playing in a two point stance as well. being that he would be our rush linebacker he can rush both ways, and we stay in our nickel packages so his hand would be in the dirt more than he would be in a two point stance.just like most rush linebackers. we need somebody who is going to be strong at the point of attack in the run game and take on blockers instead of some of these thin olb like a jarvis jones, jordan, mingo type we already have that type in mathis, they would keep running all over us like they are now if we get another slim olb. Now we need that phsysical type rush linebacker like suggs, woodley, pace, barwin type and thats what Okafor is.

 

see how every team has that physical outside linebacker and a slim olb ex: Suggs and Kruger, Woodley and Harrison, Barwin and Reed, Pace and Thomas, Jarrett Johnson and Shaun Phillips

[Gavin]

BECAUSE STATS DON'T MATTER! I'm so tired of stats being used for prospects, they only matter if they didn't produce. Colt Brennan was the best college football player ever, how'd that translate?

At least make this debate relevant to the actual position were debating, Fortunately stats matter to a large degree, you dont want some guy who did not produce in college in the first round just because he had a good Combine do you? Cause that is asking for alot of trouble, As to Brennan, he never played in a game in the NFL, The knock on him was lack of core strength which raised some questions about his overall ability to take on much punishment at the next level as well as questions about his deep ball also relating to core strength, But last I checked we would not draft Okafor to play QB so thats neither here nor there, As to stats mattering if they DID NOT produce, I hear Ansah is sittin pretty as an early to mid 1st round pick with his 4.5 college sacks, Something tells me the fact that he did not produce is not bothering scouts, Wherever Okafor has been he has been a pass rushing nightmare

[Nobody]

At least make this debate relevant to the actual position were debating, Fortunately stats matter to a large degree, you dont want some guy who did not produce in college in the first round just because he had a good Combine do you? Cause that is asking for alot of trouble, As to Brennan, he never played in a game in the NFL, The knock on him was lack of core strength which raised some questions about his overall ability to take on much punishment at the next level as well as questions about his deep ball also relating to core strength, But last I checked we would not draft Okafor to play QB so thats neither here nor there, As to stats mattering if they DID NOT produce, I hear Ansah is sittin pretty as an early to mid 1st round pick with his 4.5 college sacks, Something tells me the fact that he did not produce is not bothering scouts, Wherever Okafor has been he has been a pass rushing nightmare

I made it clear in my post that they only matter if the player didn't produce, but that doesn't always mean that they player won't produce in the NFL.

[Balzer40]

o i get it, your looking for your tv scouts/informants like Mayock, Kiper, Mcshay and people like that. "He's tough. He's got some natural pass rush ability. He does everything pretty well, but I don't think he does anything elite. I like him better with his hands in the dirt going forward, but I don't doubt that he could play 3-4 outside linebacker"-Mayock

 

were looking for a rush linebacker anyway, he fits with what the ravens are doing with Suggs, and what Rex did with Calvin Pace with the Jets

 

 

Mayock also says Okafor is a late 2nd to 3rd rd. prospect.

 

 

 

 

Q.      Mike, I'd like to ask you if there is any pass¿rushing depth at the defensive end position around 30 where the Falcons will be picking.  A lot of folks think tight end, but wanted to check on the D-end talent, the late first round, early second round? 

MAYOCK:  Yeah, I have a little different opinion than what I'm hearing a lot of people have on these quote 4-3 defensive ends.  I'm not as high on these guys as some people are. 

For instance, I don't think Bjoern Werner or Damontre Moore are top 10 players.  They might go in the top 10, but I don't see it that way.  As you start dropping down later, what happens is Ezekial “Zeke” Ansah from BYU, he's got as much upside as anybody in this draft.  I don't think he gets to [pick number] 30.  Sam Montgomery, the defensive end from LSU is a guy that could be there. 

And Barkevious Mingo gets a lot more of the attention, but I feel like Sam Montgomery brings it every snap more than Mingo does.  He's not as quick, he's not as gifted, but he's very physical and tough. 

A couple other names to keep an eye on, whether it's the first round or a little later after that. Tank Carradine, the quote “other” defensive end at Florida State who had a medical issue, he probably had first-round talent.  He's probably going to go in the second or third round, and somebody's going to get a steal with this kid because of his natural upside. 

Alex Okafor from Texas is a second or third=round guy.  But sitting there at 30, that's a tough place, because I think Werner, Moore and Ansah, are going to be gone, and you start to get into Sam Montgomery and some of these other guys.

 

 

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/blogs/chopping-block/os-cb-nfl-draft-florida-state-mayock-20130219,0,3836324.post

 

[Gavin]

Mayock also says Okafor is a late 2nd to 3rd rd. prospect.

Maybe,  but as of right now he has a bottom of the first round grade of 85.2  .01 point behind Warford and 1.2 points behind Rhodes and in ahead of Barrett Jones by .01 points

[Balzer40]

Maybe,  but as of right now he has a bottom of the first round grade of 85.2  .01 point behind Warford and 1.2 points behind Rhodes and in ahead of Barrett Jones by .01 points

 

 

 

Like I've said before, I don't want another Freeney experiment with Okafor. He's much more suited for a 4-3 DE spot than he is a 3-4 OLBer. I wouldn't draft a guy with my 1st rd. pick that has a bigger chance of being less than average at a new position.

[HtownColt]

Mayock also says Okafor is a late 2nd to 3rd rd. prospect.

we were talking about trading back into the 2nd round and getting him. not getting him at #24

[Jason_]

Personally I'd be stoked if we got Okafor.  Now I didn't watch much college ball at all in 2012 but saw quite a bit of him in 2011 and was very impressed.  IMO whether he's suited more for 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB isn't as big a deal as some are making it out to be.  On known passing downs he'd be most likely playing at the end of the line in a 4 man front so he'd be at that familiar pass rushing DE spot, something he's very good at.  On early and run downs he'd be standing up and primary responsibility would be either setting the edge or dropping into short zone coverage....both of which he's done and done well.  IMO, he may not be elite at rushing the passer, playing in coverage or stopping the run but he's good to very good at each one.  

 

I also think Freeney's issues this past year had more to do with injury and getting older (and therefore slower) than it had to do with him being at a new position.  He was rushing the passer from a familiar 3-point stance quite a bit of the time and still wasn't quite as effective as he has been in years past.  He still got pressure but couldn't quite get there as quick as he used to which is why his sack numbers were down.  We already knew Freeney was pretty much a liability against the run so no surprise he was no better at run support as an OLB than he was as a DE.  

 

So I've got no problem at all taking Okafor, even at #24 depending on whether or not one of the top CB's are still there and depending on who we're able to bring in through FA.  

[coltsfanatic24]

Okafor is a good player but there will be much better players available like Montgomery,Hankins,Short, or possibly Cooper.

[HtownColt]

Okafor is a good player but there will be much better players available like Montgomery,Hankins,Short, or possibly Cooper.

Only one that's better than okafor on that list is Cooper

[coltsfanatic24]

Only one that's better than okafor on that list is Cooper

No all the players i named are ranked higher then Okafor.  Okafor is a good player but isn't good against the run, more of a mid 2nd round pick.These are the grades of the  top 100 players big board.

 

11.Jonathan Cooper OG  94

26.Kawann Short DT  90

29. Jonathan Hankins DT  88

30. Sam Montgomery DE/OLB 87

44. Alex Okafor DE/OLB  82

[BOTT]

Okafor is a good player but there will be much better players available like Montgomery,Hankins,Short, or possibly Cooper.

I'm betting Cooper goes before Warmack

[BOTT]

No all the players i named are ranked higher then Okafor.  Okafor is a good player but isn't good against the run, more of a mid 2nd round pick.These are the grades of the  top 100 players big board.

 

11.Jonathan Cooper OG  94

26.Kawann Short DT  90

29. Jonathan Hankins DT  88

30. Sam Montgomery DE/OLB 87

44. Alex Okafor DE/OLB  82

Whose big board?

[chad72]

I would love to have Damontre Moore, do you guys think he will be around when we pick?

[Gavin]

Okafor is rated 85.2 and the new ratings (if they give new ratings) haven't come out yet, we need a pass rusher however and going by what could be left by ratings outside of Brandon Jenkins could be the only real top pass rusher left

[BOTT]

Okafor is rated 85.2 and the new ratings (if they give new ratings) haven't come out yet

....and a 72 by scouts inc which is a low 3rd. Who is right I have no idea.

[coltsfanatic24]

Whose big board?

Espn scouts inc it changes alot but Okafor still isn't rated higher then any of those players.

[BOTT]

Espn scouts inc it changes alot but Okafor still isn't rated higher then any of those players.

I shoulda picked up on that considering that is the one a pay attention to the most....and Okafor isn't even in the top 100 anymore