Rank Orakpo as a OLB prospect...

[KI Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by diehard

I'm just torn on this. Speed and power is coveted at DE and Orakpo isn't undersized heightwise either. I was hoping a good enough pure OLB was available in the 3rd and 5th rounds to fill out the roster stapling Rak at DE. OSU Marcus Freeman went a few spots earlier in the 5th before we drafted Cody Glenn. To all the skeptics who thought we selected Orakpop with too much time remaining on the clock this is a good reason why it was a overzealous decision. If a team calls a couple of spots down and wants to leapfrog the team picking next (but not interested in Orakpo) you gain a valuable second day pick. I hope Glenn and Henson compete. Rak is just to good a pure DE to be wasting time in coverage. Great against the run, great against the pass. What happens if we change his position on Madden?

Right now, I think the Skins are just trying to get their best players on the field. I think they know that Orakpo is a better fit at DE than at SLB and that DE is where he will eventually play. But, for right now, the Skins have a solid LDE in Daniels but they don't have a solution at SLB, so they want to see if Orakpo can help the team as a hybrid DE/SLB this season.

I don't agree at all that the Skins should have passed him up and traded down. I think Orakpo was a fine pick at #13.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

Right now, I think the Skins are just trying to get their best players on the field. I think they know that Orakpo is a better fit at DE than at SLB and that DE is where he will eventually play. But, for right now, the Skins have a solid LDE in Daniels but they don't have a solution at SLB, so they want to see if Orakpo can help the team as a hybrid DE/SLB this season.

I don't agree at all that the Skins should have passed him up and traded down. I think Orakpo was a fine pick at #13.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Orakpo is a beast of a player and it would have been really stupid of the FO to pass him up.

While I understand the concerns about having Orakpo playing at LB, I do think that we have a great athlete who's up to the challenge. I mean we all bitch and whine about the team not building through the draft and whatnot, but don't you guys think we're due to have a stud impact player picked up through the draft that can make a difference. Yes, I know that Merriman and Suggs are not good examples of DEs changing over to LBs (due to the system they are in), but those guys still changed positions and they had the talent and athleticism to make the change, and so will Orakpo.

[diehard]

Originally Posted by KI Skins Fan

Right now, I think the Skins are just trying to get their best players on the field. I think they know that Orakpo is a better fit at DE than at SLB and that DE is where he will eventually play. But, for right now, the Skins have a solid LDE in Daniels but they don't have a solution at SLB, so they want to see if Orakpo can help the team as a hybrid DE/SLB this season.

I don't agree at all that the Skins should have passed him up and traded down. I think Orakpo was a fine pick at #13.

The problem can't be our solution to both DE and SLB at the same time.

Not that Orakpo wasn't great value at 13th overall but, if the team was interested in a pass-rushing OLB they had two great options in the draft. Trading down and aquiring another valuable pick to have competition at DE or RT and perhaps drafting Everette Brown (who was selected 42nd overall) sounds good in hindsight.

Nobody want's to think we have a talented player playing out of position. It's like starting Cooley at FB...