Shawn Oakman, Baylor, 6-8, 275, 4.85, JR … Freakish 4th-year junior with as much upside as any prospect in this year’s draft is just starting to scratch the surface of a unique set of physical skills, although he also has some character issues that will need to be addressed; originally signed at Penn State, but was dismissed from the program following a redshirt year after he was charged with retail theft and harassment – he was caught trying to steal a hoagie and a soda from a convenience store and shoved the clerk against a wall when confronted – and then had to sit out a second straight season after transferring to Baylor; returned to the field in 2013 when he had 12.5 tackles for loss despite not starting; finally got a full-time starting gig this past season and posted decent numbers including 6 sacks; at over 6-8 and a ripped 275 actually looks more like a power forward and in fact was recruited as a basketball C out of high school and has the frame to carry more weight; also has long arms and uses them effectively to gain leverage, although scouts would like to see better use of his length to disrupt passing lanes; has the pure strength to walk opposing OTs back into the QB, but his hand placement and technique are still very raw; has an exceptionally quick first step and gets into the backfield in a hurry; also closes well, although he lacks true elite foot speed; however, can be slow to regain momentum after planting and changing direction; defends the edge reasonably well when playing the run, but is not a particularly strong at the point of attack; isn’t overly instinctive and needs to play hard every down; also struggles to keep his pads down and isn’t able to consistently sink his hips and knees; there are also some concerns among scouts that while he has dominated at times against weaker OTs, he has been far less effective against when confronting the better ones; in the end, NFL teams are not going to be selecting Oakman for what he has done in college, but for what he could do at the next level if he plays to his physical potential.
