Orakpo - - A Star in the Making

[sportscurmudgeon]

Back around draft time, I wondered if Brian Orakpo would turn out to be a great pick for two reasons:


1. If the Skins wanted to play him at DE full time, they had to worry that he did not play the run very well in college. To be sure, one reason for that is that the offenses in the Big-12 South last year tended to throw the ball 75% of the time so his"assignment" was to get to the QB because the odds are that is where the ball was going to be.

2. If the Skins wanted to play him at OLB full time, they would have to teach him a new position and new skills - - like pass coverage. He did none of that in college...


The risk in taking a physically gifted athlete and trying to change his position is that he may not be able to - or amenable to - learning the new skills and techniques needed for that position. Often, top-flight athletes resist "teaching" and rely on what got them notoriety in the first place - - their athletic abilities.

Scouting a player's willingness and ability to be coached up quickly into a new position is much harder than scouting a player's strength or speed or "nose for the football".

Well, the Skins hit the jackpot with Orakpo. He is learning his new position and he is learning fast. He is significantly better now than he was in September in terms of his technique of playing in space and in terms of his ability to stay with tight ends when the defense calls for him to cover instead of rushing. He was as rough as an abused mule at those things in the Exhibition Season and he has gotten significantly better.

Given that it appears as if he has the head for the NFL game in addition to the physical skills for the NFL game, the likelihood is that Brian Orakpo is destined to be a complete player - - not just a pass rushing specialist - - for the future.

Imagine, the Skins being able to leave Orakpo and Fletcher out there on defense on every down in every game. That has to help...