Bucs

Draft week

Gaines Adams leads list of prospects on the Defensive Line.

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER
Published April 26, 2007

Bucs on the clock

The Bucs will pay extra attention to this position because of its depth and because of their obvious need. Under tackle is an urgent need with the departure of traded Anthony McFarland last season. Also, ends Simeon Rice and Greg Spires aren't getting any younger.

Top 10 prospects

1 Gaines Adams

(6-5, 260) DE, Clemson

Tied a school record with 28 career sacks.

2 Amobi Okoye

(6-3, 289) DT, Louisville Limitless upside; he is 19.

3 Alan Branch

(6-6, 331) DT, Michigan

Can occupy multiple blockers, but motor is a concern.

4 Adam Carriker

(6-6, 292) DE, Nebraska

Impressive strength; best-suited for a 3-4 scheme.

5 Jamaal Anderson

(6-6, 279) DE, Arkansas

Also a receiver in high school, he has exceptional speed off the edge.

6 Jarvis Moss

(6-6, 251) DE, Florida

Great speed (4.63-second 40) but a bit undersized.

7 Justin Harrell

(6-4, 305) DT, Tennessee

Missed much of 2006 with injury; has raw strength.

8 Tim Crowder

(6-4, 271) DE, Texas

Good penetrator; 22 tackles for loss past two seasons.

9 Anthony Spencer

(6-3, 266) DE, Purdue

Speed rusher who could benefit from right system.

10 DeMarcus Tyler

(6-2, 323) DT, N.C. State

Wide build should make him a formidable run stopper.

In focus

Amobi Okoye

So, what were you doing at age 19? Whatever the answer, it's unlikely to top that of Amobi Okoye.

The 19-year-old Nigerian native won't turn 20 until June, but on Saturday, his credentials as a standout defensive tackle at Louisville will make him the youngest draft pick since the 1970 NFL merger.

Many project Okoye as a top-10 talent, with many teams in need of line help drafting early in the first round.

But it's not easy to determine what's most impressive about him: his football prowess or his brilliance in the classroom. Okoye, who is not related to former NFL running back Christian Okoye, started elementary school before his third birthday in Nigeria, then was promoted to high school at 12 after moving with his family to Huntsville, Ala.

When it came time to pick a college, his athletic and academic careers intersected. Would it be Harvard for the books or Louisville for football?

"My dad was big on going to Harvard, and I was big on playing football," Okoye said. "Not to downgrade Harvard, but Louisville had the best of both worlds for me as far as athletics and academics. I didn't want to go to any big (football) school. I wanted to be part of something growing."

Speaking of which, there's a chance Okoye isn't done growing. He actually dropped weight before his senior year and says he felt more explosive at his current weight. But nature might not be completely finished with him, either.

"My father's side of the family, everybody is pretty big, pretty tall," Okoye said. "My mom's side is pretty tall, too, especially my mom. She's pretty tall for a woman."

Okoye expects to stand tall on Saturday when he begins the next chapter of his life. But it won't be the final chapter. After he is done with football, Okoye plans to go back to his other passion - academics.

"I'm going to go to grad school," said Okoye, who has a degree in psychology. "Harvard - if they take me."

Defensive linemen

Thumbs down

Alan Branch Questions about his weight and conditioning and his inconsistent drive are dogging the early entry candidate. Was once seen as a potential top-five pick but now could slide out of the top 10.

Thumbs up

Gaines Adams

Has emerged from the pack to be called by some the best defensive prospect available. With the current premium on pass rushers in the NFL, Adams is a potential gem.

Under the radar

DE Ikaika Alama-Francis (6-5, 250) Hawaii

He played basketball, baseball and volleyball in high school - seemingly everything but football. In fact, he didn't start playing until his second year of college, meaning his game still has plenty of room to grow. He's a nice athlete with good genes to boot - his father, Joe Francis, was once Bart Starr's backup in Green Bay.

Extra points

Son overtakes office: The father of Miami defensive end Baraka Atkins just completed his third term as mayor of Sarasota. So, as you might expect, the younger Atkins is used to people identifying him as the mayor's son. Suddenly, with his success at UM, that's changing.

"I was known as the mayor's son," Baraka said. "Now, it's different. He hears, 'You're the guy at Miami's dad, aren't you?' It's kind of reversed a little bit. We have fun and laugh about it."

See you again: Texas defensive end Tim Crowder had something of a love-hate relationship with former teammate Vince Young. Practicing against the quarterback made Crowder a better player, but it also frustrated him.

"He's lucky we couldn't hit him in practice," Crowder said. "He would hit us, but we couldn't hit him. There was plenty of days where I wanted to hit him. He would try to take a cheap shot on you every once in a while. ... Oh, it's going to change now unless we're on the same team."

[Last modified April 26, 2007, 00:44:26]