Chiefs Meet With Texas LB Brian Orakpo
by Joel Thorman on Apr 12, 2009 3:15 PM CDT
in 2009 Draft
19 comments
via pictopia.com
The Kansas City Chiefs brought Brian Orakpo in for a visit earlier this week according to Ed Thompson of Scout.com.
Orkapo and Florida State LB/DE Everette Brown, who the Chiefs also worked out, are considered the best pure pass rushers in April's NFL Draft.
The 6'4", 260 pound University of Texas defensive end is projected to be an excellent fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. A lot of mock drafts, including SBNation's, sees him falling to the 5th pick, since the Cleveland Browns also run a 3-4.
Mocking the Draft tackles a few of his weaknesses:
The biggest question about Orakpo is his position. He has ideal size to be a 3-4 outside linebacker, but the strength to play 4-3 end. Doesn’t have the most awareness and can be fooled by misdirection plays. Relies too much on speed and strength instead of technique. Orakpo’s desire is questionable because it appears at time that he’ll take plays off. Needs to hustle more when a running play is past him.
Disappears at times? Sounds like Vernon Gholston last season who many of his critics compare Orakpo to.
Orakpo has to be considered a serious contender for the third overall pick even though most folks would prefer Aaron Curry. Orakpo's speed and athleticism make him an enticing pick for the Chiefs, but I would preferably not see him off the board until a few picks later in the top ten.
Take a look at his career statistics while in Austin (via ESPN.com):
| Defense Stats | |||||||||||||||||||
| YEAR | TEAM | TACK | SOLO | AST | PD | SACK | FF | REC | INT | YDS | TD | ||||||||
| 2005 | TEX | 17 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2006 | TEX | 17 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2007 | TEX | 27 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2008 | TEX | 38 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
Here are a few places he's been talked about around SBNation:
- Last week I noted what I thought was an interesting trend with University of Texas first rounders (which the folks at Burnt Orange Nation mightily disagreed with).
- Keyser Sose selected Orakpo with the 12th overall pick for the Denver Broncos in the Arrowhead Pride Community Mock Draft.
- Burnt Orange Nation predicted he would have over 10 sacks in the 2008 season (he had 11.5).
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What we need
is a pure pass rusher and new OLB. Brown is the best combination of both from this from this class and in my opinion would run better in our 3-4 system than Curry. Like DJ once said, Brown is the player whose style most resembles DT from this class(if any) and we need a presence like that coming off the edge in our 3-4
by KansasCityShuffle on Apr 12, 2009 3:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I can see that
I’ve been wondering why Curry’s been called the “no brainer” pick at #3 even though he hasn’t demonstrated he can rush the passer.
by Joel Thorman on Apr 12, 2009 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Workout warrior
I’m not saying Curry won’t be a good linebacker, but people have fallen in love with this speed and athleticism and those aren’t really the most important qualities in a linebacker.
Same thing happens every year. People fall in love with a guys measurables and all the sudden he can do ANYTHING.
Much more important for a linebacker to be smart and stick with his assignments than be athletic. Athletic guys tend to rely too much on their physical ability and when they get to the NFL where everyone is as athletic as they are they get burned a lot. Its exactly what happened with DJ and I would not be surprised at all if it happened with Curry.
by ChiefDJ on Apr 12, 2009 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Question
how is this a weakness?
He has ideal size to be a 3-4 outside linebacker, but the strength to play 4-3 end.I am familiar with the concerns about Orakpo…but being overly strong for his size doesn’t seem to be one of them =)
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
by PVChiefsfan on Apr 12, 2009 4:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
haha I was thinking the same
however I have to admit I hate Orakpo
player A is 6’4" 260 pounds
player B is 6’3" 275 pounds
player A has a high motor
player B has one too
player A is incredibly strong
player B is too
player A is Orakpo
player B is Hali
player A shows some unsettling compromise to
player B who is looking, walking, talking, and smelling like a bust
Time is a great teacher... unfortunately it kills all it's pupils.
by 808NaNz808 on Apr 12, 2009 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just to pile on because I hate Orakpo too.
It doesn’t matter how strong he his because he doesn’t effectively use his strength.
He relies completely on the speed rush. When that doesn’t work, he disappears. He hasn’t established multiple pass rushing techniques, let alone become competent with them. He is terrible taking the inside route on a LT, and doesn’t explode through LT’s arms when caught speed rushing the outside.
You could make the argument he can be coached up on the other techniques, but who is going to do it…Krumrie?
He is a project right now. It is a huge gamble to think he can even develop the repertoire.
"You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby ...So I braided my hair, yes I did, cornroll and everything baby"
I don't have religion. I have Baduizm...and Billie Holiday.
by DThomasReigns on Apr 12, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was directed at you PV. I was just venting about what I saw watching him last season.
"You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby ...So I braided my hair, yes I did, cornroll and everything baby"
I don't have religion. I have Baduizm...and Billie Holiday.
by DThomasReigns on Apr 12, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
*That WASN'T directed at you
Sorry about the typo.
"You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby ...So I braided my hair, yes I did, cornroll and everything baby"
I don't have religion. I have Baduizm...and Billie Holiday.
by DThomasReigns on Apr 12, 2009 4:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
As I commented onece before about Orakpo
He’s a 1 trick pony pass rusher.
He’s a really good 1 trick pony pass rusher, but he’s still a 1 trick pony.
In college you can get by with being exceptionally good at one thing. In the pros you will be exposed for what you are. I’m not sold on orakpo as a pro. I’ve been wrong before and I’m sure I’ll be wrong again but I’d put money down that at the end of Orakpo’s career he end up ranked no better than average.
The Powers Of Astute Observation Are Often Mistaken As Cynacism By Those That Do Not Posses Them -- G.B. Shaw
by Texas Chief on Apr 12, 2009 5:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I assume it's a typo
I don’t want to edit it because I’m not completely sure what he meant (though strength seems to be a question).
by Joel Thorman on Apr 12, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Orakpo is too much of a one year wonder for me
To draft a pure pass rusher that only had more than 5 sacks once in his college career with a top 10 pick is asking for trouble.
by ChiefDJ on Apr 12, 2009 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wouldn't draft him...
…just his last name. Late round only. ORAKPO. that’s a tough name. sounds like a warlord or something.
by thejesuslizard on Apr 12, 2009 5:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Orakpoop
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Apr 12, 2009 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Okrapo
Time is a great teacher... unfortunately it kills all it's pupils.
by 808NaNz808 on Apr 12, 2009 5:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Question we all new answered about Orakpo is.......can he jump out of the pool?
Opinions are like A--holes, everyones got one.
by aPacificChief on Apr 13, 2009 5:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
new = need
Opinions are like A--holes, everyones got one.
by aPacificChief on Apr 13, 2009 5:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Texas fan here
You guys seem to dislike Orakpo alot… and Texas by extension.
I know there are accusations that Texas “coddles” it’s players. It’s not true; it’s just garbage that a reporter who is a Cal alumn wrote because he was still mad about the 2004 BCS situation. So don’t worry about Orakpo being “soft.”
Anyway, on to Orakpo’s actual abilities:
I’m not an NFL draft expert by any means, so I’m not going to argue that Orakpo deserves a top 3 pick. He may not. However, I disagree with several things on this board. One, what should be concerning about Orakpo only producing one season with 5+ sacks is not that he’s not good but his durability; the reason he was slowed down earlier in his career was because of injury, and he got a minor injury this past season as well. That’s what should be concerning. Secondly, he’s not a one-trick pony. He has the speed to blow by tackles (like Loadholt in the OU game) and he has the strength to bull rush, and he plays the run very well. There’s a reason why he was considered the best defensive end in the country last season.
Furthermore, he’s more than just a workout warrior. It’s not like he all of a sudden got strong and fast before the draft; we were talking about this weight room prowess well before the college football season started. The guy works his tail off.
That being said, I actually agree with those who think he is best suited as a 4-3 end rather than a 3-4 OLB. Then again, I think he’s a hard worker and a teachable guy and a freak athlete, so I think he can make the switch if he needs to. Shrug. I guess if the Chiefs want an OLB that high, then getting somebody who needs more time to adjust doesn’t make sense, so grabbing Curry or Brown may be better.
I think Orakpo, unless his injury problems follow him, will be a solid NFL player. It’s probably best for both parties that the Chiefs don’t select him, but that doesn’t mean he sucks.
by TheElusiveShadow on Apr 13, 2009 9:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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