The various SBNation NFL blogs like to hold an annual simulation of the NFL draft where they all make selections for their respective teams. To aid in their mockery of the draft, they have asked the SBNation college bloggers to offer some player profiles for guys they feel may be first or second round material. To that end, this is a profile on Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick.
Measurements: 6'5", 301 lbs
40 time: 5.0-5.2 sec
2009 Penn State Stats: 43 tackles (17 solo), TFL 11.0-72, Sacks 7.0-61, 1 Fumble Recovered
Short Bio: It was immediately clear from his freshman year that Jared Odrick was going to be a special player at Penn State. Seeing immediate playing time as a true freshman, Odrick tallied 4 tackles and 1 sack. In 2007 Odrick was poised for a breakout year. But a dislocated ankle cut short his sophomore campaign after just eight games. Still, he managed to record 16 tackles and 2 sacks. Odrick truly came into his own as a junior starting all 13 games with 41 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 9.5 TFL in leading Penn State to a Big Ten Championship. In 2009 Odrick topped those numbers with 43 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and 11.0 TFL in helping Penn State rank No. 8 in the nation in rushing defense. His efforts won Odrick numerous All American honors, and the Big Ten coaches recognized him as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for 2009.
Strengths: Odrick has tremendous power and strength and a good motor to go with it. When he is on his game, he is unblockable. Several teams tried to contain him with double teams all year long with little or no effect. He loves to initiate contact and uses his hands well to fight off the blocker and gain leverage. There's a reason why Jared Odrick is listed as most experts as a first round draft pick. I won't say he's as good as Ndamukong Suh, but he's in that category.
Weaknesses: He may be a bit on the small side to play the middle in the league which leads many to believe he would be a perfect fit at defensive end in a 3-4 scheme, but he may lack the explosiveness to be an effective pass rusher off the edge. There were a few plays or a few games here and there where he looked like he didn't give everything he had. When he gets tired he tends to play a little too upright. But those moments were few and far between and I can't be certain there weren't outside factors like injuries or illness to blame.
My other issue with Odrick was his leadership, or I should say lack thereof. He is a very physically imposing presence, and when he speaks he commands the attention of his teammates, but those moments seemed to be few and far between. He wasn't named team captain, and I can't recall a single tale of Odrick rousing his teammates with a dramatic speach. Further adding to the character issues, Odrick was once cited in a late night altercation during the offseason where he threw a single punch. Most accounts agree Odrick was baited into throwing the punch, and he never suffered more than a slap on the wrist and a day or two on the scout team. It sounded like a case of college men with a little too much alcohol and testosterone on a Saturday night, and shouldn't be extrapolated to compare Odrick to Pac Man Jones or anything.