We have been recapping the seasons for all of the rookies so far, and now we move into the third round. Now we look at a linebacker who has thrust himself into the starting lineup.
Defense was a priority in the draft in 2019. It may not have paid off immediately, as the defense was actually worse than it was in 2018. But their third round pick netted them a starter for the future, despite some off the field concerns.
That pick was Bobby Okereke out of Stanford. The linebacker was taken in the third round despite being accused of some sexual assault issues while in college. Chris Ballard said they were aware of the allegations and did their due diligence before drafting him to the Colts.
In his rookie season, he has been nothing but great off the field. He has had no issues at all. On the field, he did pretty well as well. He finished with 58 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. He eventually played well enough to get into the starting lineup.
Okereke ended up starting 8 games in his rookie season. He had some ups and downs as well though. Even though he played himself into the starting lineup, he still has issues in pass coverage. The ball gets thrown over his head too easily in zone coverage.
That will be the biggest point of emphasis for him in the offseason. He needs to get better in pass coverage to be on the field more consistently, especially on third down. It’s great value to get a starter in the third round, so Okereke has already exceeded expectations.
Okereke will have more chances to make an impact next season once he has a full offseason to improve his game and get stronger. His future is bright in Indy and should do well next to Anthony Walker and Darius Leonard for years to come.