NFLDraftScout.com followed Brian Orakpo's road to the NFL from the combine to his pro day workout to the draft. This is the final installment in a four-part series. Part I | Part II | Part III
In hindsight, the stars seemed aligned for Brian Orakpo to become a member of the Washington Redskins.
When I spoke to him in the days leading up to last month's NFL Draft, Orakpo was in a Washington, D.C., hotel room, preparing to meet with the Redskins the following day in the final of his five team visits.
Brian Orakpo 'returns' to the 'Skins, joining a team with the same nickname as his high school. (AP)
Brian Orakpo 'returns' to the 'Skins, joining a team with the same nickname as his high school. (AP)
And on April 25, Washington made him the 13th overall pick of the draft. And it wasn't the first time he donned a Redskins jersey -- he wore No. 98 for the Lamar High Redskins in Houston in 2000.
"It's funny, it's like what I said at the press conference, we modeled our logo after the Washington Redskins' and like my high school coach told me, 'Once you're a Redskin, you're always a Redskin.'"
Again wearing the familiar No. 98 that characterized his stellar prep and collegiate career, Orakpo quickly found himself in a new role in Washington's rookie minicamp earlier this month.
• Redskins pick up legal victory | Bleacher Report
Though Orakpo earned the Lombardi Award (nation's best lineman), Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defender) and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors as a defensive end, the Redskins began their minicamp with the former Longhorn manning the strong-side linebacker position.
"The idea is to keep me on the field as much as possible," Orakpo said. "Washington had a great defensive line even before signing Albert Haynesworth, so why mess with their success when I can help in other areas too? I mean they finished fourth in the entire NFL in total defense. All I can do is bring my versatility to the field and try to help out in every way I can."
Acclimating to linebacker might not be as difficult for Orakpo as it has been for other former collegiate defensive ends. Orakpo did play some linebacker in Will Muschamp's defense at Texas last year, alternating between rushing the passer and covering receivers so as to confuse the opponent.
Still, it isn't a transition the Redskins are taking lightly, which is why Orakpo spent the vast majority of his time practicing at linebacker during the minicamp and glued to veteran London Fletcher.
"I haven't spent a lot of time with the defensive line yet. I've spent most of my time with the LBs, because there is obviously going to be more of a transition there and Fletch has been really helpful already. He was there all weekend to help me out, as I'll not only be making the transition from college to the pros like every rookie, but will be playing more linebacker than I'm used to too."
Orakpo was pleased, though never satisfied, with his play.
"There was one particular play [while at linebacker] when I was up against [Pro Bowl tight end Chris]
ey man-on-man," Orakpo explained. "He [Cooley] tried to fake block me and then go out for a delayed route. I read it and stuck with him so that when the quarterback tried to dump it off to him, he saw that I was right there and he had to throw it away or take a sack. I was happy with myself, because he's a good player and I stayed disciplined and showed that I can be effective in coverage."
The impressive early play out of Orakpo might have justified head coach Jim Zorn's draft-day assertion that the former Longhorn would be making the transition to linebacker once he arrived in Washington.
• Talk back! Is Orakpo a defensive end or linebacker?
"We know that he can pass rush; that's sort of something that we have a very good feel about," Zorn told the media on draft day. "We've seen it over and over again. So I think what we want to do is see what else he can do and introduce him to some different kinds of situations. So you may see him early in our minicamp just trying it out at a linebacker position just to see him, to see how comfortable he is. But certainly he is going to be a pass rusher. Even though he might start with his hand up, at some point, on third down, maybe first or second down, but definitely on third down, he's going to have a hand down and rush the passer."
With Andre Carter on the right side, veteran Phillip Daniels knew immediately that drafting Orakpo would likely lead to a reduction in playing time. But after watching film of Orakpo, Daniels encouraged the Redskins to select him.
"Brian reminds me of me when I was coming into the league," Daniels said. "I was a 'tweener' coming out of college. I weighed 263 pounds and I had started at linebacker my junior year."
As an end or a linebacker, Orakpo's ability as a pass rusher is the quickest way he will make his presence felt. While the former Longhorn was correct that the Redskins finished fourth in the NFL last season in total defense, the club also finished 28th in sacks -- registering only 24 in 2008. Only the Bengals (17), Browns (17) and Chiefs (10) finished with fewer. The Redskins were led by a trio of defensive linemen -- ends Carter and Jason Taylor and defensive tackle Demetric Evans -- who racked up four sacks apiece.
"Racking" up sacks is exactly what Orakpo intends to do in Washington.
"My rushing has been pretty effective when they've asked me to do that. I'm fast enough off the edge to help them up front with some pressure," he said.
Though Orakpo is confident he'll be applying the pressure on Washington opponents soon, the pressure he and the rest of the players inside the Green Room at Radio City Music Hall felt on Draft Day was of an entirely different sort.
"Before the draft it was all just fun and games [in the Green Room], people meeting people and all that. Once the draft started, though, no one was talking any more. It got to be a little more nerve-wracking."
If the anxiety heightened as some of his peers heard their names called, however, Orakpo denied it.
"It's like I told some of the other guys, I just try to keep a positive approach to it all. As guys were drafted ahead of me, rather than worry about why I wasn't the pick, I was happy for them," Orakpo said.
Surely it had to be a little nerve-wracking, however, to see players getting drafted who weren't even invited to New York, especially considering that many of the teams that had flown him in for personal visits -- Kansas City, Cleveland, Green Bay and Denver -- all elected to go in other directions.
"No, not at all," said Orakpo. "Take Tyson Jackson, for example. Sure, I wanted to be the first defensive end drafted. I wanted to be the first player drafted, but I've known Tyson Jackson since before the season even started. He's a good guy and he'll do well. Lots of the other guys I met throughout my career or at API [Athletes Performance Institute in Arizona] went high too and I was happy for them, too. I wasn't really worried about where I'd go. Obviously I wanted to go as high as possible, but I feel very fortunate to have been selected by a great franchise from a great city at the spot I was picked. Very fortunate."
Any nerves he was feeling quickly dissipated once he heard Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations, call him with Washington on the clock.
According to Orakpo, Cerrato said, "Are you ready to come back and have a great dinner like last [time]? Because we think you'll be a great fit as a Washington Redskin."
Once a Redskin, always a Redskin.
