SBN Mock Draft: Okoye Pick

by VanRam on Apr 4, 2007 10:58 AM CDT in Events

The pick is posted over at the SBN Mock draft, and with that, here's my line of thought in taking the youngster Okoye out of Louisville.

I should also note, that my pick was based largely on the preferences voted on by fans in the recent poll here at TST asking which position the Rams should go for with their 13th pick.

The Rams need a defensive tackle, desperately. Fans are beginning to wonder if one of those orange practice dummies can be drafted to replace former first round draft pick, Jimmy Kennedy. And therein lies the controversy surounding the notion of the Rams taking a DT in the first round, especially one that everybody keeps talking about using a dubiously loaded version of the word "upside."

Pish Posh!

Okoye has proven to have such a natural intution for the game, and his role in it, that he is a senior in college at the ripe old age of 19... a time when want-to-be writers like me pondered another year as a freshman. And he was good too. His stock has recently climbed because of various work out days, and I'm a bit surprised to have the chance to grab him 13th.

The idea in the Rams' front office, if I'm reading between the lines right, is that a high round, blue chip DT can step in and immediately make a difference, without having to be any sort of magic-bullet solution to our run problems. In college, Okoye has proven himself to be great against the run, handling double team blocks, collapsing pockets, and generally taking away the middle of the line of scrimmage for opponents. In St. Louis next year, Okoye can become the nose tackle Kennedy never was (the fault there might have something to do with injury and coaching neglect in previous seasons, but that's for another time). Being part of the rotation, Okoye can ease his way into whatever system Haslett creates and still work those rushing downs as he develops the playmaking aspect of his game.

Having said that, temper expectations. Okoye will be a big help, but we're also going to have to count on top-from seasons from Kennedy and Claude Wroten. Even then, nobody's going to confuse us with the Ravens of old, but the impact should be immediate nonetheless.

Just over 300 pounds, size is a concern. Ideally, an NFL conditioning program and lots of endoresments for Ted Drewes Frozen Custard will add 10-15 lbs to Okoye's frame. But he is only 19, which is something worth repeating. As my Mile High colleague pointed out yesterday, Branch would have been the better choice for immediate help on the D-line, but things didn't fall that way. Okoye offers some help now, but the potential to be a cornerstone of the defense for years to come helps make the pick even easier than those 250 rushing yards per game allowed by the Rams last year.

0 recs | Comment 6 comments

Story-email Email | Print |

Comments

good stuff

I hope we actually get him.

by Toddius396 on Apr 4, 2007 10:42 PM CDT 0 recs

Under Tackle

I know Jimmy Kennedy hasn't been the solution so far at nose tackle, but Okoye isn't going to be a nose tackle.

Go look at Cory Redding, the franchise player for the Detroit Lions, and maybe you'll see though who Okoye will be in a year or two. While Redding just emmerged last year when he had 8 sacks in 11 games at the DT position, the tape on Okoye shows the same thing - a fast strong young man who will take on double teams to open up single blocks for those players on either side of him, or will beat single blocks to get to the QB himself.

Putting him in next to Jimmy Kennedy is probably the best thing the Rams could do however - since he's the kind of player that will make everyone else on the line that much better.

by Elric on Apr 5, 2007 12:36 PM CDT 0 recs

good point

in the short term, 07 and 08, Okoye could be just enough to hold the run with another DT on the line, and then develop into a player like Redding. I kind of think that next to Kennedy on the line, the run defense would be "good enough" this season, not great, but a Rams D in the middle of the pack, even at the lower end of the middle, would give them a real shot to make the playoffs.

That SF offense looks good on paper still, and I think might be our biggest challenge, but they'll probably suffer some with the coaching cart so upset this year.

by VanRam on Apr 6, 2007 8:29 AM CDT up 0 recs