Lawrence Okoye(UK) DE at SRC

[MonsterD]

Link

Interesting:

At nearly 6-foot-6 and 304 pounds, Okoye ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 and 4.78 seconds while posting a 10-foot-5 broad jump and a 35-inch vertical jump in a "real, first-class show." Brandt called him the class of the defensive linemen in attendance Sunday.

 

[MonsterD]

He was 285 lbs during the Olympics, uh looks like near 0 fat.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7804630896_9b4f599678_z.jpgHe is like the Hulk.

 

[xwalker]

http://www.footbasket.com/nfl/30003-british-discus-thrower-looking-to-have-future-in-nfl/

Lawrence Okoye is a British discus thrower and he competed in last summer’s Olympic games, finishing in 12th place. Okoye used to be a rugby player and has ambitions of playing in the NFL despite not playing any organized football in his life.
The 21-year-old confirmed on Twitter that his main goal right now is to get into the NFL:

 

[CATCH17]

Dude threw discuss for 1 year and was top 10 in the world.

 

[Eskimo]

He's a very interesting athlete.

Those dimensions seem to fit best at OT. It'd be interesting to run him in some OL drills and see if he could pick it up. We know he has the physicality to play the sport given he is a rugby player and his showing in the discus suggests he has the strength and power, too. I guess it'd be easier to transition into the league as a DE but for some reason I look at him and I think OT.

He must have decent feet to throw the discus. I bet he could pick it up. He'd probably need a red-shirt year to learn the position.

I just thought of another possibility for him - how about TE with that kind of speed (especially if it is closer to 4.8). He is used to running from his days in rugby but no idea about his hands.

Very intriguing athlete.

 

[JDSTAR]

I know it's a huge risk to take a guy who has never played football, but their is something very intriguing about this case. His measures and times are impressive, but what is really appealing seems to be his success in other sports. Ansah has recently been shot up to the top 5 in the mock drafts, while having only minor success in track and basketball. This is a whole different monster. If our OL, DL, and S needs are taking care of in the first 3 rounds, I would certainly take a look in the 4th. Private work outs will mean everything, though I'm sure Jerry got a good look at him.

 

[MonsterD]

I know it's a huge risk to take a guy who has never played football, but their is something very intriguing about this case. His measures and times are impressive, but what is really appealing seems to be his success in other sports. Ansah has recently been shot up to the top 5 in the mock drafts, while having only minor success in track and basketball. This is a whole different monster. If our OL, DL, and S needs are taking care of in the first 3 rounds, I would certainly take a look in the 4th. Private work outs will mean everything, though I'm sure Jerry got a good look at him.

I don't expect him to be drafted at all, he seems to have an insanely high aptitude for learning in general, but he has to be coached for a couple of years before he can really be on the field. I think the stumbling block could be hand technique, that is something that would be priority training for him. He has the same explosion as any NFL lineman and I see video of him benching 495lbs, a little less than you expect, but he has the pure athleticism. Comes down to how much he can learn and imitate in a very short amount of time.

 

[RS12]

The British world-class discus thrower who is giving the NFL a shot this year just might get drafted.

NFL teams are looking at Lawrence Okoye as a defensive end, and he was the standout at the NFL’s Super Regional Combine in Dallas on Sunday, according to a report on NFL.com. (For more on Okoye, go to this link: http:// .com/d4cfpjv.

Okoye measured at 6-feet-5 3/8 and 304 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 and 4.78 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, ran the short shuttle in 4.38 seconds, and had a 10-foot-5 broad jump.

For comparison’s sake, over the last five scouting combines the average size of a defensive end prospect is 6-3 3/8 and 266 pounds, the average 40 was 4.88 seconds, the vertical jump 32 ½ inches, the short shuttle 4.46 seconds, and broad jump 9-5. In other words, despite being significantly bigger (two inches taller and 38 pounds heavier) than the average defensive end prospect, Okoye performed better in all those tests, by either a little or a lot.

Okoye, 21, never has played American football but grew up playing rugby and is considered a potential world champion in the discus.

Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys front-office executive who now works for NFL.com, predicted that Okoye went from an undrafted free agent to a late-round pick with his performance at the super combine.

“Okoye looked like he could be drafted,” Brandt wrote. “He was unbelievably active and incredibly explosive in drills. It was a real first-class show.”

http://www.packersnews.com/article/20130408/PKR0101/130408034

 

[xwalker]

I don't expect him to be drafted at all, he seems to have an insanely high aptitude for learning in general, but he has to be coached for a couple of years before he can really be on the field. I think the stumbling block could be hand technique, that is something that would be priority training for him. He has the same explosion as any NFL lineman and I see video of him benching 495lbs, a little less than you expect, but he has the pure athleticism. Comes down to how much he can learn and imitate in a very short amount of time.

I would find a reason to put him on IR in year 1.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

He is an interesting athlete but, this is exactly the kind of thing that fans scream at the Cowboys organization over. Thrown away draft picks. He has never played a down of football in his life and it does not sound as if he will be giving up the discus either.

If he goes undrafted, then perhaps. Other then that, I'm thinking no.

 

[Angus]

Giants' compensatory selection (253)

 

[RS12]

Benjamin Allbright ‏@NFLDraftMonster 3m
Lawrence Okoye 6'7 308 Olympic discus thrower ran a 4.79 & 4.8 40 at regional combine, 10'8" broad. Oxford law accepted, too.
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[Aven8]

Benjamin Allbright ‏@NFLDraftMonster 3m
Lawrence Okoye 6'7 308 Olympic discus thrower ran a 4.79 & 4.8 40 at regional combine, 10'8" broad. Oxford law accepted, too.
Expand

Sounds like a RKG.

 

[RS12]

Somebody has to make up 54-90 in Oxnard.

 

[cowboyschmps3]

Looks like a Beast, as a DE in a 3-4 or 4-3 tackle, would also fit as a Tackle but I rather have him after people on D lol

 

[Phrozen Phil]

I'm envisoning him as a blocking TE. DB's are having nightmares. He is, as Eskimo has pointed out, a very intriguing athlete.

 

[Biggems]

if we can add an extra 4th or 5th, I say take a chance.....I mean he couldn't be any worse that any of the other 4th round picks over the last decade, not named Marion Barber.

 

[Eskimo]

The Raiders aren't around anymore to take him in the second round so everyone else has a shot at him.

If we took him in the 4th round I wouldn't cry over it. Most guys there don't amount to much and we haven't had much success there except in the 2005 draft (Canty and Barber) although the 2007 draft yielded Free who played well for 1.5 years, okay for 1 year then bad for 1 year.

It is indeed a projection to figure out where he fits best. A great deal will probably depend on what his attitude is like on the field, what his hands and balls skills are like and how physical he is. If he is a little less physical then TE may make sense. If he is dominant and loves to play in attack mode then DT makes sense or even LDE. If he is a technician with a long wing span and good feet then OT may make sense.

I do know that it would be interesting to see small DBs try to cover him downfield when they struggle with guys Gronk's size.

 

[respectdatstar]

Did we reach out to him as a UDFA? Or did he go straight to San Fran and get offered a spot?

 

[MonsterD]

Did we reach out to him as a UDFA? Or did he go straight to San Fran and get offered a spot?

I doubt anyone knows.