http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...nce-okoye-impresses-at-super-regional-combine Lawrence Okoye, who competed in the discus at the Olympics, wowed some scouts with his athleticism at the Regional Combine, 6'6" and 304 but ran a 4.78 40-yard with equally impressive broad and vertical jumps . Was reported last week that some teams were looking at him as an UDFA, but now being talked about as a possibility that a team uses a pick on him. Don't see it myself, as he has no football background whatsoever (beyond being a fan), but he'd be an intriguing development project. His speed isn't a surprise to me as, before he took up the discus, he played rugby at a fairly high level and played as a Wing, which translates roughly to a WR in football. Apart from his lack of football experience, the other thing that will likely stop him even being considered as a draft pick is whether he will remain committed to an NFL career. Here's a guy who's gone from a rugby player to a discus thrower and now wants to try the NFL...and he's still only 21. He's obviously got the athletic ability and the intelligence (he was offered a place at Oxford University), but he can't seem to settle on what he wants to do.
I can't see him getting drafted, no football experience. He'll most likely get invited to a camp, but being big and fast are only going to get you so far- this guy has never played football. Making an NFL team will be a very tall order, I think that arena ball is more realistic.
San Francisco, unsurprisingly, and New Orleans have him in for visits. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/11/lawrence-okoye-starts-making-the-rounds/
He needs a simple position to play. 3-4 DE on the right side in a one-gap scheme would be his best fit.
Well.. Ireland has taken measurable guys in the 7th before (who was the vet school linebacker?). It just depends how picked clean his board is by that point.
