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INDIANAPOLIS – With Bobby Okereke, you had the physical makeup comparison of Darius Leonard.
Well, the Colts currently have another close similarity with one of their draft picks
Kemoko Turay is the NFL player that sixth-round pick Gerri Green most resembles from a size and testing standpoint.
The dominant trait in both of those players comes from their get off the ball, something the Colts key on when searching for edge rushers.
Green, who was the 199th overall pick out of Mississippi State, actually played more linebacker than defensive end in college.
It will be a hand-in the-dirt, defensive end position that the Colts will try Green at first in the NFL though. That is where Green played his final season at Mississippi State, following three prior years at linebacker.
“At the Senior Bowl, he played SAM (linebacker) and we sent (linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi) to work him out as a SAM, but then at the end of the day we think his best position is going to be at defensive end,” Chris Ballard said after drafting Green in the 6th round.
During that 2018 defensive end campaign, Green had 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, while starting 13 games for a Mississippi State defense with 3 first-round picks, including two on the defensive front (Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat). Green was a 2018 team captain for the Bulldogs.
At 6-4 and 252 pounds, Green ran 4.65 in the 40-yard dash, which is something that certainly caught the eye of the Colts.
Green said NFL teams were pretty split in projecting him as a linebacker or defensive end at the next level.
With the Colts, it’s no guarantee that Green will make the roster. Reserve defensive ends—behind starters Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston—include Turay and Al Quadin-Muhammad. And the likes of Tyquan Lewis and Ben Banogu can also take up some D-end snaps.
But a high-motor player, with that quick burst off the snap, will always be attractive to the Colts.
“I come out ready to work every day,” Green says of his playing style. “My effort, I give my all every snap. It’s just how I play, how I always play and how I plan to continue to play.”
Post-Draft Stories
–Rock Ya-Sin ranked as the top college corner in one pretty important category for the Colts
–The Colts see some Jamie Collins in new hybrid linebacker Ben Banogu
–Frank Reich has a ‘take it to the house’ game-breaker in Parris Campbell
–How similar are the physical traits of Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke?
–In trading up for Khari Willis, the Colts showed their love for the Big Ten safety
–The Colts see more for Marvell Tell III than just a move to cornerback
