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Oregon junior DE Arik Armstead chooses to enter NFL Draft

By Brandon C. Williams

Nov 8, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Arik Armstead (9) between plays during the second half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Oregon won 51-27. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Arik Armstead (9) between plays during the second half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Oregon won 51-27. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oregon’s Marcus Mariota entered the NFL Draft, but not before teammate Arik Armstead announced his plans to forgo his senior season.

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Every NFL draft has its “freak,” the type of player who melds tremendous athletic ability with barely untapped potential.

This year’s version may very well be Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead, who announced his decision to turn pro nearly 24 hours before Ducks teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota did the obvious and chose to forgo his final year of eligibility.

The 6’8″, 290-pound Armstead is ranked 38th overall on the latest Big Board from NFLDraftScout.com and is rated as the sixth-best defensive end available. Projected as a potential late first round to early second round selection, Armstead’s play during the College Football Playoffs only confirmed that he should make the jump to the pros.

NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang wrote of Armstead last July, “(His) production is far from staggering but he boasts such an incredible combination of size and athleticism that he could wind up as Oregon’s hottest NFL prospect on the defensive side of the ball. A monstrous man with natural power and light feet, Armstead’s upside is undeniable.”

Armstead came to Oregon as one of the premier recruits (how premier? Try the No. 1 player in the nation) of what would be Chip Kelly’s last recruiting class in 2012 and recorded 26 tackles as a freshman before taking a step back with just 15 tackles in 2013. He then quit the Oregon basketball team in order to concentrate on football, a move that paid off huge dividends.

Free to focus on football, Armstead had 46 total tackles this past season, including 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble while earning All Pac-12 honors.

Armstead projects as a 3-4 defensive end, according to drafttek.com, which ranks him 44th overall, yet also has his stock rising.

Without question, Armstead’s size and raw athleticism will attract teams in search of a three-down end. He’ll have to show that he can handle more physical offensive tackles after he was pushed around by Ohio State in Monday’s national title game. Armstead will be one of the more intriguing players to watch in next month’s rookie Combine in Indianapolis, where his numbers in the 40, bench press and shuttle could shoot him beyond the outer edge of the first round.

At best? Armstead does show signs of being a Mario Williams-caliber end, and while those expectations are lofty, Armstead does show the the same level of athleticism and untapped upside that Williams had following his junior year, where he was selected first overall by the Houston Texans.

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