NFL: Cordarrelle Patterson, players sure to breakout in 2014
By Brad Rowland
Alec Ogletree, LB St. Louis Rams
It is somewhat hard to envision a player who made 117 tackles as a rookie needing to go to another level to reach “breakout” status, but Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree did not receive a lot of accolades during the 2013 season, and this year, the NFL is in for a wake-up call. The 30th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft fell to the Rams after some concerns about off-field issues, but Ogletree reminded the entire league of why he was considered to be a top-10 talent, and his athleticism screams of that of a Pro Bowl player in the future.
There were various reports of Ogletree struggling in Tim Walton’s defense last season, however, and the decision to switch to Gregg Williams (remember him!?) should likely free up the super-athletic Ogletree to be a pure ball-hawk for the upcoming season. The statistical prowess of other positions likely won’t make its way to Alec Ogletree, but he should fly past 100 tackles for the second consecutive season, and with the best defensive line in the NFL in front of him, there will be numerous opportunities to make an imprint on the NFL.