Frank Okam DT 6’5 320 Texas

Okam was a heralded recruit that had an immediate impact for the Longhorns in 2004. He earned Freshman AA honors after finishing the year with 22 tackles, six for loss, and two sacks. A year later as a sophomore he had 48 tackles, five for loss, and a sack on his way to earning All Big 12 2nd team honors. Last season as a junior, Okam had 37 tackles, six for loss, and two sacks. Okam bounced back with a strong senior year, finishing with 52 tackles, 11 for loss, and five sacks.

Okam has all the athletic talents you could hope for in a defensive tackle. He has excellent size and can hold his ground at the point of attack. He can take on blocks, control running lanes, and bring down the ball carrier. He is not just a run stopper, as he is an excellent athlete that has the quickness and change of direction ability to get into the backfield and make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Okam has the ability to play in both the 3-4 and 4-3 defense.

For all his athletic gifts, Okam has never made the big plays you would assume he would make. He will take some plays off and rely on his talent too often. He needs to learn to play with more fire on a consistent basis and he could dominate.

Okam has as much upside as any defensive lineman in this draft. His ability as a run stopper and the potential as an impact penetrator should make him one of the first three defensive tackles selected in April.