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Oklahoma State Football: Emmanuel Ogbah wraps up solid first season in NFL

By Andrew Miller

Nov 7, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (38) after the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU won 49-29. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (38) after the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU won 49-29. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rookie defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah had a great first season in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns after a solid career at Oklahoma State.

Former Oklahoma State football defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah just wrapped up his first NFL season with the Cleveland Browns. Ogbah was originally drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the 32nd pick by the Browns. It seemed like an unfortunate situation to end up in, as the Browns do not have a clear direction for their future, with an injury prone Robert Griffin III as their starting quarterback.

Ogbah is the best pass rusher the Pokes had in the last six years. He spent three seasons with the Cowboys from 2013-2015, compiling 26.5 career sacks. He also achieved 133 total tackles in his career and five forced fumbles. There was a time during the 2015 season that Ogbah seemed like a guaranteed first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The best game of Ogbah’s 2016 campaign came against the Cincinnati Bengals where he compiled six total tackles and 1.5 sacks. Overall, Ogbah brought down the quarterback 5.5 times during his rookie season. He did not force any turnovers but he also got 28 total tackles.

Those are very promising stats for a rookie playing on a defense that did not fair well in 2016. Ogbah gives Browns fans hope that they will not find looking at most names on the roster.

Ogbah brought down the quarterback more times than most other rookie pass rushers. He finished fifth in the league among all rookies in sacks, only behind Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Yannick Ngakoue, and DeForest Buckner. Three of the players ranked ahead of Ogbah were also first round picks.

The athleticism Ogbah offers is far above average from what most other players can offer. Ogbah has a large wingspan and is quick off the edge which gives him the potential to be solid in both run and pass defense. He could be the type of player in the coming years that brings down the quarterback eight or 10 times each season.

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Pokes fans should be proud of what Ogbah is doing in the NFL so far. Compared to some other recent OK State alumni that struggled in their first years in the NFL, Ogbah looks very promising. He has come a long way in four years from being an under the radar three-star defensive end starting with OK State in 2013.

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