The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

Pros- Orakpo is very quick and explosive off the edge. He plays with good leverage and is extremely strong. His combination of strength and speed make him very hard for blockers to handle one on one. The former Longhorn plays with a great motor and still has a ton of upside.

Cons- Orakpo was very dominating at times, but at other times was invisible on the field. He doesn’t do well when the ball is run at him, and doesn't offer much more than a bull rush or a pure speed rush to get to the quarterback. Durability was an issue in college. Other than last season he wasn’t very productive.

Scouts Take- Orakpo is a top prospect due to his athletic ability and great strength. He is a very hard worker and was a team leader at Texas. Scouts have been debating whether Orakpo should play with his hand down in a 4-3 or a 3-4. Due to his inability to tackle in one on one situations, he would probably do better if he remained a 4-3 defensive end.

School Bio

3.27.09 - Mississippi DL Peria Jerry measured a height of 6-foot1 7/8 and a weight of 290 pounds at his Pro Day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.64 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.30 seconds. He measured a 31-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-6 broad jump and completed 28 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.

Mancini's Take: Jerry has amazing burst off the snap, which helps him knife through the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc in the offensive backfield. In addition to his quickness, the d-tackle can really hammer ballcarriers and force turnovers. The only question with Jerry is whether he can fight through double teams. He's not B.J. Raji when it comes to stopping the run, but he's certainly a playmaker. One does have to wonder about his durability--he missed several games early in his college career, had surgery less than a year ago, and during his Pro Day, he was bothered by a slight hamstring pull. However, even with that nagging injury, he managed to post some very solid numbers for a man of his size. His athleticism and non-stop motor will be attractive to any team and if he was 21, and hadn't been banged up in college, he'd be a top-10 pick. But he's 25 and has a history of injury...so he'll probably go late in round one. He will no doubt produce...when he's on the field. - All Access Daily Dose: Pro Day Impact & Analysis - Peria Jerry

1.27.09 – Any time there was a pileup in the backfield during South practices, you could be sure Peria Jerry was at the center of it during practices, and he was disruptive again during the game, defeating his blocker easily to record one sack and finding a loose ball in the end zone for the game's only defensive TD. Jerry will be coveted by any teams looking for a one gap defensive tackle in the first round. - Draft Guys On Location at the Senior Bowl

1.23.09 - Peria Jerry beat Herman Johnson pretty easy with his quickness, then got around Eric Wood – he's a pure 3-technique type disrupter from the interior of the line. On the next rep, he pushed Wood off his heels. In 11-on-11, Jerry bested his man for what would have been a sack on John Parker Wilson. He could easily be the defensive player of the week for the South squad. His stock has risen all season and continues to do so. - NFL Draft Bible On Location At The Senior Bowl

1.21.09 – Peria Jerry has been just as dominant as BJ Raji, although he's strictly a one gap DT. He overpowered giant Herman Johnson, pushing him around despite giving up 90 pounds. Jerry also got to the QB twice in the pit when lined up as an end, and even got to the QB when he was held, ragdolling the blocker who attempted to corral him. Like Raji, when an 11 on 11 play got blown up in the backfield, most of time he was the culprit. - Draft Guys On Location at the Senior Bowl

1.20.09 – Peria Jerry gave his opponent fits all day. He won with a rip, he won with a push, he won lined up at DE, he won with pure tenacity and effort. Jerry even put "the House" Herman Johnson on the ground in the pit. He would not be denied and got to the pad playing the part of the QB with ease. Jerry has solidified his status as a first rounder, the question now is how high he'll rise before it's all said and done. - Draft Guys On Location at the Senior Bowl

1.19.09 – Peria Jerry dominated his man, especially on the bull rush, even his opponent knew it was coming. Matt said his performance was reminiscent of what Sedrick Ellis did here last year. - Draft Guys On Location at the Senior Bowl

Scout's Take - 7.1.08

After two mostly non-descript seasons to start his career as a Rebel, the highly touted Jerry broke out as a playmaking force in his junior campaign. He recorded an impressive 14 tackles for a loss, using his quickness to knife his way into the offensive backfield. He has good size and understands how to use his hands when engaged with blockers and batting double teams. While he has some experience playing the nose, he projects more as a three-technique tackle at the next level. At times, Jerry can be overly aggressive and can be easily taken out of plays, something veteran NFL linemen will be quick to take advantage of. He needs to get stronger, play with better discipline, and generally play the run better on a consistent basis. The fact that many of his fellow defensive linemen missed several games due to injury is a major reason that Jerry wasn’t stuffing the stat sheet in his first two seasons. If he makes a similar leap in production in 2008 as he did last season, Jerry could be among the fastest risers leading into the 2009 Draft.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media