[This Emmanuel Ogbah scouting report, with a Vikings slant, has been provided to Vikings Territory by Draft Season. Be sure to check back for more and also be sure to visit Draft Season to quench your NFL Draft thirst. All previously published scouting reports can be found by clicking here.]
Height – 6’4″
Weight – 269 lbs.
Age – 22
The AP’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, 28 career sacks
Good size with long, lanky arms.
Physical at the point of contact, which is a big reason he is so strong against the run.
High motor player who goes hard every single snap of the football.
Versatile. He has lined up at both end positions, has been moved inside to tackle, and can even line up at outside linebacker if needed.
Very strong. Can absolutely destroy would-be blockers. Uses his hands well to shed linemen.
Very productive in college. Ogbah finished with the following career numbers – 133 Tackles, 35.5 Tackles for Loss, 26.5 Sacks, 5 Forced Fumbles.
Good, not great athlete. Ogbah relies mostly on his strength to plow through blockers, rather than speed or a quick get off.
Still a work in progress. Has gotten better every single season, but still has a ways to go to reach his full potential.
Needs to add some more pass rushing moves to the arsenal. He simply relies too much on the bull rush, and while effective in college, that may not fly in the pros.
Pass rush technique needs work. Ogbah is much too high when working around a pass blocker. He needs to learn to sink his hips and get lower.
Cliff Avril, Seattle Seahawks
Ogbah is similar to Seattle’s Cliff Avril in a few ways. They are similar in size and both have nonstop motors. Avril is extremely aggressive going after the quarterback and is truly relentless in his pursuit – a trait you see when watching Ogbah. Avril is a little quicker off the snap, and clearly has a more refined pass rushing technique but those are things that Ogbah will learn once he gets coached up by NFL defensive minds.
Vikings fit? Yes.
Defensive end is an underrated need for the Vikings heading into the 2016 season. Everson Griffen is an absolute stud as clearly shown by his inclusion in this year’s Pro Bowl. The team also has to be very excited about rookie Danielle Hunter’s future. He had 6 sacks last year and could be promoted to a starter in 2016. Brian Robison is more of a question mark. He is still playing at a high level, but his age is getting up there. It’s unclear at this point if the team will bring him back or only bring him back on a restructured deal. Then after that, all there really is Scott Crichton, who has been a major disappointment. So the team will need to bring in some more depth. Ogbah would be a great fit in Mike Zimmer’s defense. Zimmer would exploit Ogbah’s versatility, lining him up inside in passing situations, and even standing him up at outside linebacker from time to time. Ogbah would thrive under Zimmer’s tutelage, and could reach his immense potential sooner than later. All that being said, it is unlikely they use a first round pick on the position, and that is what they would need to do to get Ogbah. But if he is the best talent on the board when they are on the clock, Spielman just may pull the trigger.
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Resign Justin Trattou if you think we need a DE. Our draft picks need to be wr, ss, and o-line maybe nose tackle not d-end or will linebacker that can wait a year Greenway and B-Rob will be back and both played well last year
Look what happened when Linval Joseph went down we need a legitimate backup nose tackle and no I don't think Shamar Stephan is it also Blanto and Sendejo need to go find a legitimate safety strong or free doesn't matter to me.
Nice player for sure, but Emergence of Hunter teamed with Everson, would make the selection a luxury we can't afford. Besides, as somebody here astutely pointed out, Vikes need to send message of support to Bridgewater. O-line pick would allow team to more accurately assess QB position. Stressed on 47 percent of his throws its a wonder he's not suffering from David Carr disease. We know all too painfully that receivers selected in the first are risky propositions, but would provide much needed firepower.Have to wonder how team feels about Charles Johnson? Should we give Wallace's $11 million to Bear's Alshon Jeffery? Or, is a fast shifty player like Baylor's Coleman better suited to our short to medium passing game.
Jeffery won't be getting out of Chicago,they'll use the franchise tag if they have to.