Article Links Saints interested in British Prospect (1 Viewer)

[GilFinnerty]

Lawrence Okoye, 6,6 308lbs. Moves very well for big man,,Being pegged as a DE according to article.

Lawrence Okoye puts on show at London pro day workout - NFL.com

 

[chad_moore]

I'm curious what some of his skill results were in comparison to the others in the draft at his position. Some of the comments to the article suggest the Jags or Panties take him in the 6th. I don't understand how someone that has NEVER played a down of football at any level could possibly be anything more than an UDFA.

I'll admit, him having little to no football experience is a HUGE negative. However, him being an Olympic athlete shows his dedictation and work ethic. It would be VERY interesting to see him in our TC and how he did in the preseason. If nothing else, could contribute on ST.

 

[canuckredux]

At least we know he'd last longer than 12 minutes.

 

[reeferboyz]

I honestly wouldn't mind if we spent a 5th-6th rounder on him...since we gave our 7th to seattle for effin Barrett Rudd. Man I wish we had more picks! This dude is all muscle and he's quick. With the right training and coaching, this dude could become a monster. What would it hurt??

 

[Zack Lee]

At least we know he'd last longer than 12 minutes.

but can he do a backflip?

 

[Dart]

Yeah, there was another long thread about this a few weeks back but being English I've been casually following Larry Okoye's various sporting endeavors since he was about 16. The kid isn't just an elite athlete, he's also a very polite, well-spoken and intelligent guy - he's got a deferred place at Oxford University (second best University in the UK) to read Law.

Something else which speaks to his ability to pick up new disciplines is that he was actually a Rugby player as a junior. He only picked up the Discus - which is a highly technical sport in itself - 4 years ago and went all the way to being ranked #5 in the world.

I feel certain that he'll be drafted because, as I say, some team (or I suspect, several teams) are going to fall in love with the kid when they meet him and I'd be comfortable using a 5th on him.

He is the ultimate 'swing for the fences' type pick and the chances are he won't work out. But there is also a chance he becomes the most dominant pass rusher of any player in this draft! I'd be willing to spend a 5th, stash him on the PS for a year or two and find out which way it goes.

 

[SaintsJunkie]

really hope to draft this guy and train as a OT and DE , and for a while have as a back up for both positions.

 

[Zack Lee]

getting sick of being mentioned as interested parties in articles and always in addition to the 9ers. :aargh:

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

getting sick of being mentioned as interested parties in articles and always in addition to the 9ers. :aargh:

I look at it differently. If we're interested in the same defensive players as they are, then we are doing something right.

 

[Dart]

I'm curious what some of his skill results were in comparison to the others in the draft at his position. Some of the comments to the article suggest the Jags or Panties take him in the 6th. I don't understand how someone that has NEVER played a down of football at any level could possibly be anything more than an UDFA.

I'll admit, him having little to no football experience is a HUGE negative. However, him being an Olympic athlete shows his dedictation and work ethic. It would be VERY interesting to see him in our TC and how he did in the preseason. If nothing else, could contribute on ST.

You want to know why he'll get drafted.... Here you go. He's just over 6'5" and about 305lbs and he ran a 4.78 40 at his workout!!! Think about that for a second... He had a 10'5" broad jump (which would've been good for 3rd among ALL d-linemen despite the fact that he weighs 50lbs more than some of them). He had a 35" vertical for goodness sake. That's .5" MORE than A.J. Green and (once more) he weighs 305lbs!

Add to that one of the most important things for a D-Lineman - he has long arms. Infact his 35" arms are actually .5" longer than J.J. Watt's - obviously the prototype right now for 3-4 linemen. Add to that, as I said, he'd be one of the most intelligent guys on the roster and he's proven he can pick up a new sport and get to the top 5 in the world in less than 5 years. Those are the reasons he'll be drafted.

It's all still a crapshoot of course and the odds are that he'll fail - but someone is going to take that bet and I'd be annoyed if another team used a 5th behind us and he ended up as a 20 sack a year type guy.

 

[Zack Lee]

I look at it differently. If we're interested in the same defensive players as they are, then we are doing something right.

very good point of view. I just hope we start winning when we get into a tug of war with them for a player. Of course with this one, it is just a mater of knowing what round. Very interesting prospect.

 

[wesleyTX13]

What if we trade Ivory for a 5th and use that pick on him? I'd miss Ivory but I'd also be super excited to watch this guy develop!

 

[MarkIngramfan16]

We need to give him a chance he would be a great DE maybe 5th or 6th

 

[JackDiesel]

Despite the current stigma surrounding Bill Johnson he's done a great job developing our hard working raw but athletic linemen like Hicks and Galette. I'd love to see what he could do with Okoye.

 

[nosaints213]

Despite the current stigma surrounding Bill Johnson he's done a great job developing our hard working raw but athletic linemen like Hicks and Galette. I'd love to see what he could do with Okoye.

Don't forget about Jordan. He wasn't raw, but he has grown leaps and bounds from year 1 to year 2, and I expect him to take another giant leap next season.

 

[Marlboro Man]

From what's being said, this kid has the intelligence to learn a position quickly. Add to that, the probability that he could also contribute this year in certain situations, and I see no reason not to draft him.