One of the more intriguing of the Vikings¡¯ Day 3 draft picks
is Olisaemeka (Oli)
Udoh
Irv Smith white
jersey , a right-tackle out of Elon University. The Vikings drafted him in
the sixth round, number 193 overall.Big..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections
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Cowie/Tim Cowie PhotographyOne of the more intriguing of the Vikings¡¯ Day 3
draft picks is Olisaemeka (Oli) Udoh, a right-tackle out of Elon University. The
Vikings drafted him in the sixth round, number 193 overall.Big and Raw Tackle
ProspectOli Udoh Measurables Of course the first thing that stands out about
Udoh is his size.He¡¯s a mountain of a man at 6¡¯5 1/2¡± and 323 lbs.He¡¯s got long
35 3/8¡± arms, and is also very wide, with a broad chest and thick tree-trunks
for thighs. He¡¯s also a guy without a lot of bad weight - fairly muscular
overall. Comparing his measurables to a top prospect in this year¡¯s draft like
Cody Ford, Udoh compares similarly, if not favorably overall.In short, he¡¯s got
all the ideal size traits for an NFL right tackle.Athletically, he might be
described as athletic for his size.He ran an excellent 40 yard dash, had average
¡®burst¡¯ rankings - vertical and broad jump - and fairly poor agility drills - 20
yard shuttle and 3-cone drill.He¡¯s said to have fairly quick feet when it comes
to pass protection, but on the other hand may lack the lateral quickness and
agility necessary to be a good zone run blocker. Of course he has the size and
strength to be an effective drive
blocker
Irv Smith Minnesota
Vikings Jerseys , but not quick enough to be an effective puller.All these
comments may create some confusion in terms of what he may or may not be capable
of, but they miss the central point about Udoh as a prospect:his is very
raw.Technique and Mean Streak Very UnderdevelopedUdoh played four years at Elon
University, the smallest school in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)
conference of the FCS.Not known for its offensive line coaching and development,
among other things, Udoh didn¡¯t develop much.And so, despite his experience,
Udoh¡¯s technique is still very raw.The other thing that shows up in his tape is
a lack of urgency, playing through the whistle, and that nasty, competitive
toughness.When Udoh won his rep, he often just used his mass to neutralize
smaller defenders, or simply push them out of the way. What you often see in his
tape, and in scouting
comments
Minnesota Vikings
Jerseys 2019 , is that while he is big and strong, he plays somewhat
tentatively - perhaps unsure of his assignment or technique, or lacking
confidence.Whatever the reason, this seems to negatively effect his competitive
toughness.It may also be that he didn¡¯t have to work too hard much of the time
against CAA competition to win his rep.In any case, when plays break down, you
sometimes see Udoh just kinda chasing guys around or lagging behind the play.A
Big Project All of that leaves Vikings offensive line coach Rick Dennison with a
big project to develop.He was for taking a chance on Udoh with a mid to late
round pick, and unlocking his potential will fall to him and his staff.Dennison
may be banking on a couple things in hopes of cashing in on this late round
pick.First, an upgrade in coaching may help Udoh to make big strides in
improving his technique, and hopefully develop more confidence and competitive
toughness along the way.Improving things like better use of his hands/punch,
better use of leverage, developing more consistent set-points in pass
protection, footwork/body control in run blocking, and zone blocking in
particular.What is encouraging about
Udoh
Irv Smith black
jersey , coming out of a small school program and facing 3rd rate
competition, is that he had a good showing in the EW Shrine game and held his
own during the Senior Bowl.That shows he has the ability to step-up his game and
compete well against better competition.How far he can take it remains to be
seen, but hopefully we¡¯ll get a chance to see how he fares in training camp and
pre-season action.Expectations Best case scenario, if Udoh takes to NFL coaching
like a duck to water, and he¡¯s able to incorporate technique improvements in
stride over the course of the off-season and training camp, earning more reps
along the way, and demonstrating good technique and competitive toughness in
pre-season action, he could challenge Rashod Hill for the swing tackle
job.Perhaps a more likely outcome, however, is that Udoh shows some improvement
from OTAs through training camp that is promising enough for a spot on the
practice squad.This would set him up, with continued improvement, to compete for
the swing tackle position next year, and eventually starting right tackle. But
for now Udoh will have to show he¡¯s as fit mentally as he is physically for the
job at hand to earn a roster or practice squad spot.Scouting Notes and
CommentsBelow are some scouting reports on Oli
Udoh
Irv Smith Jersey
Mens , which are very consistent.Scouting FilmBelow is some tape on Udoh,
wearing #73.The first couple are highlight reels of sorts.Here is some Senior
Bowl tape of Udoh (#73 on the North team):And a game tape : The New York Jets
placed right tackle Brandon Shell on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday
with a knee injury.Shell was hurt last Saturday in the Jets' loss to Houston. He
was carted off the field in the third quarter after left guard Spencer Long
rolled into his left leg. Shell immediately grabbed at his knee as trainers ran
onto the field to check on him.Coach Todd Bowles wouldn't provide details
Wednesday as to the nature of Shell's injury, other than to say it was "pretty
bad." He also said the offensive lineman will need surgery.Shell started 29
games over the past three seasons since being drafted in the fifth round out of
South Carolina. He's the great-nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Art
Shell.Brent Qvale took over at right tackle against the Texans and could do so
for the last two games. Bowles said it's early in the week and the team is still
considering its options. The Jets also have offensive tackle Eric Smith, claimed
Tuesday off waivers from the Patriots, and Dieugot Joseph, who's on the practice
squad.Linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu was also placed on IR after missing the game
against Houston with a concussion. He had two sacks and a forced fumble in 11
games for the Jets.The Jets also claimed linebacker Emmanuel Lamur off waivers
from Oakland, and promoted linebacker Anthony Wint from the practice squad.Lamur
has 193 tackles in seven NFL seasons, most recently with the Raiders after
stints with Minnesota and Cincinnati.Wint has spent the entire season on the
practice squad after being signed by New York after rookie minicamp. He was an
undrafted free agent out of Florida International.