Data Points: Plenty of pass-rush values
Published: June 21st, 2011 | Tags: Data Points, Cheta Ozougwu, Houston Texans, Raheem Brock
With former Rice DE Cheta Ozougwu joining us on “NFL Total Access” on Tuesday, it brings up the question of how feasible is it to get a pass rusher late in the draft. In case you didn’t catch the 2011 NFL Draft, Ozougwu was “Mr. Irrellevant,” the 254th and final player selected.
Ozougwu will certainly will have an adjustment to make in the 3-4 scheme Wade Phillips is implementing in Houston, transitioning to a stand-up rush linebacker. Will he distinguish himself as a pass rusher in the NFL?
That’s a good question, and late-round picks and undrafted rookie free agents have shown they can crash pockets and put up sacks. In fact, the chart below lists the top sack artists among players taken in the sixth round or later. All but one – Seattle’s Raheem Brock, a seventh-round pick in 2002 – weren’t even get drafted.
– Elliot Harrison
