Watching Texas - Arizona ST. Game......WOW

Okam almost declared last season and then decided to go back in. And yeah he's a real NT prospect. He'll get gobbled in the first 10 to 12 picks is my guess given the number of teams now looking for a NT. Miami joined the list with Parcells becoming the honcho of the season.

 

At 6-5, 320 he is more fit for the 3-4 DE position than NT. And he will not go in the top 10 to 12 picks, he will most likely go late 1st/early 2nd round. He would be a good guy to pick up with our 2nd rounder, but to play DE not NT.

 

I have seen him play. He is correctly listed at 320 pounds, and definitely not 340 pounds. And 6-5 is too tall for a NT anyway.

Also remember he is ready, size-wise, for the NFL. While a lot of the guys he is playing against are most likely not going to the NFL or not as big as him. Just on the Texas line are guys listed at 240 lbs, 275 and 275. So to then have a 320 lb. Frank Okam in the middle of all of them, he may look bigger, where as in the NFL he would be CLEARLY 315-320.

 

Explain to me why 6-5 is too tall for a NT? Darnell Dockett on Arizona is 6-4, Jason Ferguson and Ratliff on the Cowboys are 6-3 and 6-4, and Jamal Williams on San Diego is 6-4. I mean we have a short NT in DRob right now and obviously he isn't getting the job done. This guy is 6-5 and could add even more size, I don't see how this doesn't make sense.

That being said DRAFT MCFADDEN..i just want to finally have an all-star haha.

 

Dockett doesn't play NT for the Cards, he is only 285 pounds and plays DE when they run a 3-4. Gabe Watson does and he is 6-3. Ferguson, like you said is 6-3. Ratliff is a bit unconventional as a NT as he is only 300 pounds, but yes he is 6-4. Jamal Williams is 6-3. Casey Hampton is 6-1. Ethan Kelley is 6-2. Vince Wilfork is 6-2. NT are supposed to be 6-3 or under. The point of a NT is to be stout (small and wide) at the point of attack so they can take on two blockers. Robertson is a good height at 6-1 but not big/wide enough. If you are taller than 6-3 (6-4 is acceptable but still not great) you are natually slimmer at the same weight and cannot take on two blockers as well because you are not as wide. Also being shorter gives you better leverage and if you are taller (6-5) and going up against centers and guards who are usually 6-4 or 6-5, you are not getting any leverage.

 

just very disappointing. I watched most of it and two things stood out:

Okam and the rest of the Texas line manhandled the ASU offensive line. ASU couldn't run the ball at all. They got stuffed on a few criticial 3rd and 4th and shorts in the first half, and they later had to abandon the run. There were no holes at all.

The other thing is that Williams, the ASU returner, is an idiot with bad hands. I don't know how he's still the returner in the bowl game.

He muffed twice, and the second one was terrible. He tried to make a running catch near the sideline with the Texas coverage right by him. You NEVER do that.

oh, and the last thing is that the ASU defense made some critical mistakes. In the first half they had forced Texas to punt, but someone got a personal foul call after the play that gave Texas a first down. Then later, they failed to account for Colt McCoy. That's most likely a coaching problem, but he was constantly able to scramble for yards, almost at will. They had some drives almost stopped, but McCoy kept the running.

 

Any possible targets for us- with the exception of Okam - who played in tonight's game, and played well?

 

It is all about leverage. It is much harder to get good leverage and hold the point of attack being 6'5. That said Okam would be fantastic for us as a DE, and I would love to draft him in the second.

 

If Okam could get to 350+ (which is certainly possible given his frame) his height would not be an issue at all.... An inch or two doesn't make much of a difference once you get up that high in weight (see the 6'5 Ted Washington for an extreme example)