I am not 100% on this, but I believe even given his percieved lazy attitude his production in college was very good. His stock was very high his junior year and he was projected as a 1st rounder. I couldnt find it, but I am almost positive that his production his senior year was on par with the previous year, but a change in def scheme hurt him somewhat.
Maybe he is just getting money for law school, and maybe Amobi is just getting money for Nigeria... Okam was drafted in the 5th, and no he isnt a starter, not uncommon for 5th round picks. I dont see how any conclusions can be made about him, especially when the "3 year rule" for DL is taken into consideration.
Given the investment teams make for high picks, and the pressure of having to play them for that much money, there is nothing to say that Okam could or could not produce at the same level as Amobi atm. It is all assumptions based on coach speak from Kubiak, and draft hype.
For a dude that is taking 2-3rd string snaps in practice he hasnt looked that bad in the few games he played in. And the difference between 1st and 2nd team snaps is huge.
Tim Bulman is in his 4th year and was an undrafted rookie, but most are very high on him. His first 3 years he barely played, and now he has 16 tackles, 4 sacks, has only been active 11 games, and has started none.
I dont think there is any way a player can make it all the way to the NFL without having a passion for the game. Some make it partially on pure ability, but that isnt enough. The dedication, even at the college level, to keep up is huge. The possibility of a 5th rounder not making it is alot bigger than that of a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd rounder.
|