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Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
Height: 6-4. Weight: 261. Arm: 33 1/8. Hand: 9.
Projected 40 Time: 4.73.
Projected Round (2013): 2-3.
4/24/13: Okafor had a good senior season and was a consistent pass-rusher. His job got harder after Jackson Jeffcoat went out for the season with a torn pectoral, but Okafor remained productive. The senior totaled 54 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, a blocked kick and a pass batted in 2012.

Okafor performed well at the Senior Bowl. He started out the week on fire before cooling down some. Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson told WalterFootball.com that Okafor was the best pass-rusher he went against in college; NFL teams value that kind of feedback.

Okafor went out with a bang this season as he dominated Oregon State with 4.5 sacks, eight tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Okafor came close to a few other sacks and set up his teammates to sack the quarterback. He was dominating the right tackle with speed rushes and bull rushes.

Johnson and Oklahoma held Okafor in check, and it was his worst game of the season. However, he was Texas' best defensive lineman and a more consistent producer of splash plays than teammate Jackson Jeffcoat was. Okafor beats offensive tackles with speed, strength and a repertoire of pass-rushing moves.

Okafor made two massive plays to help his team almost pull out a win against West Virginia. He beat the right tackle with a speed rush just before halftime, dropped his shoulder to get leverage and planted Geno Smith on his back. The hit forced the ball out and Jackson Jeffcoat recovered it just over the goal line for a Longhorns' touchdown.

In the fourth quarter with Texas down by three, Okafor made a game-changing play. He bull-rushed the right tackle straight into Smith. Okafor reached out while falling to the ground and slapped the ball out of Smith's hand. The Longhorns recovered the ball at West Virginia's 12-yard line, but they missed their field goal attempt. Okafor also registered a blocked kick in the game and a number of other pressures on Smith.

8/27/12: Okafor was one of the top defensive ends in the Big XII in 2011. He was a First-Team All-Big XII selection. Okafor totaled 58 tackles with 14 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, three passes batted and two forced fumbles. He had 2.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2010.

Like Jeffcoat, Okafor has a nice skill set with speed and physicality. Plus, he is adept at getting upfield and is a disruptive rusher. Okafor is very solid as a run defender. He holds his ground at the point of attack and does not get pushed around.

The Longhorns have lined Okafor up in a variety of places. He has done a lot of stand-up edge rushing over the tackle as well as blitzing over interior linemen as a linebacker. Okafor definitely has the length and athleticism to be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

Okafor should be primed for a big season and could be an early-round pick. He will get plenty of opportunities to rush the passer given the passing-driven nature of the Big XII. With teammate Jackson Jeffcoat on the other side of the line, Okafor should still see plenty of one-on-one pass-rushing opportunities.

Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford
Height: 6-3. Weight: 244. Arm: 31 1/8. Hand: 9 1/2.
40 Time: 4.91.
Projected Round (2013): 3-4.
4/24/13: Thomas is short on size, speed and athleticism. However he's a good football player and could be a nice value pick.

Thomas ended the year with 71 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, one interception and 7.5 sacks for Stanford. His sack against USC came at a critical time to help seal the Cardinal's upset win. He played really well against Notre Dame even though the stat sheet didn't reflect it.

The redshirt senior placed a lot more pressure on the quarterback than the sack numbers indicate. Thomas was quiet as a pass-rusher for some time before totaling four sacks in the final two regular-season games against UCLA.

Though Thomas has the flexibility to play inside linebacker, he thrives blitzing off the edge and combines good physical skills with intelligence. Thomas has a knack for causing turnovers. He had some struggles as a 4-3 outside linebacker at the Senior Bowl and that continued to be seen in the Combine drills. Thomas had a slow time in the 40-yard dash. He could use some development in the NFL.