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Troy Apke, worty of a 5th round pick?

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Apke, a Penn State safety was described as a late bloomer on a web report ran a 4.34

He only played one year at Penn State, racking up 54 tackles, one interception, and four passes defenses.

But with his size and speed ( 6'1" tall, 200 pounds, 4.34 ) Akpe should be decent on special teams with a chance to develop later.

Many years ago the Steelers took a similar gamble in Ike Taylor, and he turned out to be a very good player.

Hit or pass?
 
He has all the athletic ability and is also a sure tackler. But also I found that often times, our secondary featured Apke running for his life trying to catch up to the receiver making a big play in his area. I wouldn't mind giving a chance if he comes in and works his *** off and gets better, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he didn't make the cut
 
AggieSteel said:
He has all the athletic ability and is also a sure tackler. But also I found that often times, our secondary featured Apke running for his life trying to catch up to the receiver making a big play in his area. I wouldn't mind giving a chance if he comes in and works his *** off and gets better, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he didn't make the cut
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He worked out like a star. 40-yard dash vertical, 20-yard shuttle. and cone drills were elite level. His dad played ball, including one game with the Steelers as a " replacement strike player. "

I'm not sure if he can develop into a starter, but he can be a special teams player as we find out.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/troy-apke?id=2560123
 
We have 2 5th round picks and 2 7th round picks. Players like him could easily be brought in with the expectation of heading to the PS for a year to develop.
 
Coach said:
Apke, a Penn State safety was described as a late bloomer on a web report ran a 4.34

He only played one year at Penn State, racking up 54 tackles, one interception, and four passes defenses.

But with his size and speed ( 6'1" tall, 200 pounds, 4.34 ) Akpe should be decent on special teams with a chance to develop later.

Many years ago the Steelers took a similar gamble in Ike Taylor, and he turned out to be a very good player.

Hit or pass?
Click to expand...

I would NOT hit that! :)
 
Black & Gold Bleeder said:
why did he only play one season at PSU? IMO there in lies a reason to say no.
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That is a good question, the report I read said he's a late bloomer.

Marcus Allen, a Safety draft prospect at PSU started four years, and his production vs. terms of splash plays was terrible. Just one interception in 49 games.

Some other top prospects only have 1-2 years starting.

When it comes to 1-year starters, their workouts mean a bit more to me and that's why I'm impressed with Apke.

I think this guy has some upside. And as the 4th or 5th safety, he can play special teams while the coaches figure out if he can add value as a positional player.
 
how big is his head?
 
He has good speed but is a late reactor. Doesn’t have that centerfield first step. I’d be fine throwing a 7th at him just on athletic ability but not one of our 5ths.


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Apke only played 1 year becase Malik Golden was ahead of him on the depth chart. Golden actually played a bit for the steelers last year. Apke is obviously a great athlete but he doesn’t have much experience. He will go higher than the 5th because of his size and athleticism alone. Worst case is that he’s a great special teams player.

Marcus Allen did not have many INTs because he pretty much played LB. He rarely played as a true safety and was almost always down in the box. Troy Polamalu played like that at USC, so did Lake at UCLA. Quite a few NFL teams are using guys like that now too. Mark Barron is basically a LB now for the Rams. Allen will appeal to a team looking for a run support safety or a hybrid LB for sub packages.

There could be great value in the 2 PSU CBs, Grant Haley and Christian Campbell

Haley will be a slot CB. He’s only 5’9 but is very quick and he’s solidly built. He ran 4.44 in the 40 and had the 2nd best 3 cone time among CBs at the combine. He’s smart too. His mom is a Doctor and his dad is dean of Univ of Florida medical school. He’s tough and hard working and a great special teamer. He’s the guy who returned that blocked kick in 2016 to beat Ohio State.


Christian Campbell is a tall CB 6’1 with long arms. He needs to get stronger but his long arms are an advantage. He’s good as a zone CB. Still a work in progress because he did not start until later in his career like Apke. Where he goes will depend on how he runs at his pro day. If he runs under 4.5 then he may rise up charts due to his length.
 
So after watching gametape, what does Water Football I er mean what is your opinion of this prospect, coach?

:biggrin1:
 
slashsteel said:
So after watching gametape, what does Water Football I er mean what is your opinion of this prospect, coach?

:biggrin1:
Click to expand...


I don't think Walter Football had him in their mocks or any write-up. They might now. The film on the web is limited, but we can judge the work out numbers, which are excellent, and the stats, which are decent for a year one starter in a competitive conference.


From the limited film I've seen, he's not an impact type of tackler. I'll defer to the PSU fans here.
 
Coach said:
Apke, a Penn State safety was described as a late bloomer on a web report ran a 4.34

He only played one year at Penn State, racking up 54 tackles, one interception, and four passes defenses.

But with his size and speed ( 6'1" tall, 200 pounds, 4.34 ) Akpe should be decent on special teams with a chance to develop later.

Many years ago the Steelers took a similar gamble in Ike Taylor, and he turned out to be a very good player.

Hit or pass?
Click to expand...

uhhh pass. but I would draft him with a late round
 
BLITZ said:
uhhh pass. but I would draft him with a late round
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So you saying 7th round only for us? He won't be there. With Godlen cut, there is a spot for a mid to late round safety draft pick on the team
 
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