April 25, 2009
ESPN expert Mel Kiper
They didn't expect Brian Orakpo to be here. Brian Orakpo is a guy who was the sixth highest rated player on the board. They thought he would be gone. Redskins fans haven't seen this for a while. You had Charles Mann and Dexter Manley and they thought Jason Taylor would give them a boost, he did not. Now you get Orakpo out of Texas. You look at a guy, when he was at full strength, great pass rusher. For the Redskins, pass rusher has been a need for a couple years now. They got a guy that they did not think would be there at number 13.
NFL Network expert Mike Mayock
He fits what they need which is the ability to get to the quarterback. This is a guy that I felt could play defensive end or outside linebacker. This is a gifted kid. He's an explosive kid off the edge but I still feel like he can play that right defensive end and I think that's what the Washington Redskins are going to have him do.
NFL Network expert Jon Gruden
The Redskins have got to be fired up. As good as they played defense last year, they didn't get to the quarterback enough, 24th in the league in sacks. You got get Albert Haynesworth to solidify the inside. Here comes this cat coming off the corner. The Redskins got better. They'll start faster because of guys like this, good pick.
NFL Network expert Steve Mariucci
We were talking about him as a conversion guy. As he matures, he's a 22-year-old kid, he's going to be 270 plus, so you put him as a bookend across from Andre Carter. They're going to have maybe the best front in football with these guys across the board.
Pro Football Weekly's Eric Edholm
Let me be the first to say that Brian Orakpo should be a very good player in Washington, and I think DL coach John Palermo has to be thrilled to work with this kid. Greg Blache will know where to put him, and Orakpo should see lots of single-blocking with Albert Haynesworth occupying two blockers nearly every down he's out there. Congrats to Orakpo. The Redskins are getting a good one.
CBSSports.com Senior Writer Pete Prisco
I like this pick a lot. The Redskins have to get speed off the edge. They have to be thrilled he lasted this long.
ESPN Scouts Inc.
Washington must have been ecstatic that a pass-rusher of Orakpo's caliber was around at the 13th pick. He fills an immediate need with the departure of Jason Taylor combined with an aging Renaldo Wynn and Phillip Daniels. He is a nice addition to play opposite of Andre Carter and next to Cornelius Griffin and Albert Haynesworth in forming one of the better defensive lines in the NFC.
The Washington Times' David Elfin
The Redskins didn't waste any time taking Texas pass rusher Brian Orakpo with the 13th pick. He was their favorite player all along -- which is why they used just 2:25 of their allotted 10 minutes to make the selection.
