Draft Scout Snapshot: DS Rating on 8/24/08: #2 DE, #9/750 Overall, Projected Rnd: 1
2008: Earned All-American first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation...Recipient of the Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player), Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman) and Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end)...Finalist for the Lott Trophy (defensive IMPACT player of the year) and named Big Twelve Conference Defensive Player of the Year...Unanimous first-team All-Big Twelve selection...Appeared in twelve games, starting eleven contests at the "quick" defensive end position...Missed the second half of the Texas Tech game and the Baylor contest due to a knee injury and was also was limited at Kansas as a result of that injury... Still managed to record 40 tackles (32 solos), as he ranked second in the league and sixth in the nation with 11.5 sacks for minus-100 yards, the tenth-best season sack total by a Longhorn...Ranked second in the Big Twelve and 14th nationally with 17.5 stops for losses totaling 112 yards...Registered 15 QB pressures and caused four fumbles...Also deflected two passes...Had a very impressive performance in the trenches...On 38 running plays that he made tackles on, the opposition netted just one yard, a miniscule 0.026 yards per carry...Had a hand on 20 pass plays, resulting in his opponents gaining just 56 yards on four receptions, an average of only 2.8 yards per pass attempt...Made fourteen of his stops on third-down snaps and three more on fourth-down...Nine of his tackles came inside the red zone, including three on goal-line snaps...2007: 9 GP; 8 GS; 27 Sol-37 TT, 9 TFL, 5.5 SK, 2 PBU, 12 QBH, 1 FF; Appeared in nine games, starting eight, missing four due to a right knee injury suffered against Arkansas State ... earned Defensive MVP honors in the Holiday Bowl ... earned one of UT's Frank Medina Rehabilitation Awards and was named one of the Longhorns' Outstanding Defensive Ends ... helped UT allow just 93.4 rushing yards per game (sixth NCAA) ... tallied 37 tackles, nine TFL, 5.5 sacks, 12 pressures, two PBD and a forced fumble. 2006: 13 GP; 1 GS; 18 Sol-26 TT, 6 TFL, 4.5 SK, 2 PBU, 11 QBH; Played in all 13 games, recording 26 tackles, six TFL, 4.5 sacks and two PBD ... named one of the Lowe's Most Improved Defensive Players.
Post-Draft Outlook: BEST PICK: The Redskins were thwarted in their efforts to move up to choose Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez and Texas linebacker Brian Orakpo, but then lucked out to have Orakpo still be there at No. 13. Orakpo will begin his NFL career at left end but is versatile enough to play strong-side linebacker. Those were the Redskins' biggest needs going into the draft and are the positions that five-year starter Marcus Washington filled the past five years (the latter often as a pass rusher on third downs). Orakpo was sixth in the nation with 11.5 sacks as a senior and should be the Redskins' best outside pass rusher. A closer look at the Redskins' picks: Round 1/13 -- Brian Orakpo, DE, 6-3, 260, Texas...The Redskins biggest dilemma with Orakpo will be whether to play him at left end (where he'll begin his career) or strong-side linebacker. The son of Nigerian immigrants was the first defensive lineman picked by Washington in the first round in 12 years. - by The Sports Xchange
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High: 5-12 Low: Mid 1
