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NFL Rookie Players of the Week – Lions’ Calvin Johnson and Texans' Amobi Okoye
by Frank Coyle

The NFL ’07 early season continues with several impressive performances by rookies that is recognized weekly by DraftInsiders.com

Calvin Johnson - WR - Detroit Lions
The #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft '07 caught 4 passes for 61 yards and scored 1 TD, a 7-yard reception, in his second consecutive game that helped the Lions' win a 20-17 overtime game vs the Vikings. Johnson touched the ball five times that either scored a TD or 1st down on each touch.

Amobi Okoye - DT - Houston Texans
Texans #1 pick in April, recorded 4 tackles, plus a pair of sacks and 1 forced fumble in the Houston, 34-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. Okoye's two sacks occurred on third-downs and were his first sacks as a pro. Both sacks ended Panther drives and forced them to punt.

Amobi Okoye’s Scouting Profile from Draft Insiders’ Yearbook in March ’07 is below.

Rookie Runner ups
Offense
DeShawn Wynn - RB - Green Bay Packers
Adrian Peterson - RB - Minnesota Vikings

Defense
Paul Posluszny - LB - Buffalo Bills
Patrick Willis - LB - San Fran 49ers

DT Amobi Okoye #91 - 6’2� 300 lbs. - Louisville - Sp. 5.0 Rating 90
Young talented senior tackle has set the pace for the improved Cardinals defense over the past few seasons. Amobi is one of the fastest rising prospects in this draft class that probably sees him selected in the first round in April. He has the quick first step and plays with natural leverage that gives him a fast advantage over blockers. He shows the instincts to quickly diagnose the play and the burst of speed to make tackles both inside the box and on the perimeter. He has a strong athletic frame with fine natural skills that he continues to develop and improve over his playing experience. He is a unique prospect in that he is only 19 years old after entering college as a 15 year old in 2003. He is a wide body lineman with a low center of gravity and the fine quickness on the snap to gain fast penetration to make plays in the backfield. He combines very good instincts with natural functional strength that translates well to the playing field. He can occupy two blockers well with fine balance and leverage to stay alive on the inside despite being under 290 lbs. He needs better hand development to separate from blockers quicker, but he continues to make quick progress as a pro prospect. He is an athletic Nigerian who has a mobile, strong compactly built athlete with the talent to excel as a pro. He gets off the ball quickly and into the gaps, creating disruption immediately on the snap. He does a good job of maintaining his balance and moves very well for man of his size. He shows the ability to consistently play well with low leverage with the strength to push the pocket. He has definite upside with the talent to continue to develop as a top flight pro. He is a quick, savvy lineman with fast hands and quick reads that give him an early advantage over blockers. He shows the instincts to diagnose the play and the explosiveness to gain fast penetration into the backfield. As a senior, he started 13 games at tackle making 55 tackles, including 15 TFL, 3 FF, 3 QB hurries, 1 PBU and 8 sacks, while earning Big East first team honors. In 2005 as a junior, he posted 23 tackles, 4 TFL and 1 sack while starting 10 of 11 games for his first fulltime playing time. Over his career, he totaled 121 tackles with 23 TFL and 11 sacks while facing double team blocking often over his late career. He is similar to the Bears’ Tommie Harris, Colts’ Montae Reagor and Falcons Rod Coleman in body type, athleticism and positional fits. At the combine, he ran a 5.07 forty, 30� VJ, a 9’3� BJ and did 29 reps. He could start at several positions on either front but best suited for the three technique spot in the 4-3 set. He also could project to the end spot in the 3-4 defense, though he has not experience in that scheme. He is a bull-strong, quick interior lineman had an excellent career for the Cardinals as one of the best inside defenders in this class. He is a naturally quick athlete that puts him in position to make plays. He has very quick strong hands that can shock an opponent, though he will have difficulty shedding blocks at times. His athletic ability and range are above average to pressure the passer and make plays outside the box. He is a talented smart athlete with a high level of development to be an early NFL starter. His overall conditioning is very good and he is the type of defender that DC will most likely use in a line rotation because of his fine development and production. He has shown to be a tough and durable competitor who has all the components to earn an early NFL starting grade. Emerging talent with enormous upside potential and the power and initial quickness to be an immediate factor on front line. Mid 1st round and definite top 15 prospect on our board with Bengals, Bills and Rams interested. If our Update Report in April, we projected him to go to the Houston Texans in the first round.
Draft Projection: 1st Round