2015 NFL Draft Profile: Arik Armstead, DT Oregon

Oregon defensive tackle Arik Armstead is a huge man with the potential to get even bigger at the NFL level. He has surprisingly good agility for a man of his size. That agility comes in handy when tracking down ball carriers that he can spot using his tremendous height and explosive ability to change directions.

His technique will need some work at the NFL level. He too often finds himself stood up at the line of scrimmage or locked in a battle with a lineman rather than disengaging. When you add in a limited tape of success at the college level, there are some good reasons why teams will hesitate to draft Arik Armstead.

However, there will be teams that look at his skill set and ability and feel that they can coach some of the other things he needs to be successful at the NFL into his game. He will need that kind of coaching to become more of a threat as a pass rusher instead of being just a big body to clog lanes and redirect traffic.

Nov 8, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Arik Armstead (9) reacts during the second half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Oregon won 51-27. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Combine Measurables:

Height: 6’7″
Weight: 292 pounds
Arm Length: 33″
Hand Size: 10 1/2″
40 Yard Dash: 5.10 seconds
Bench Press: 24 reps
Vertical Jump: 34″
Broad Jump: 117″
3 Cone Drill: 7.57 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.53 seconds

Draft Projection

Arik Armstead is the #27 overall prospect according to CBS Sports and is their #4 available defensive tackle in the 2015 NFL Draft class.

NFL Player Comparison

NFL.com: Calais Campbell, Cardinals
CBSSports.com: Calais Campbell, Cardinals

Fit For The Vikings

Minnesota should be very happy with their starting DT Sharrif Floyd and not be looking to bring in competition for him. However, the Vikings always love being able to bring in fresh bodies in a defensive rotation.

My Take

Personally, Arik Armstead scares me a little. Not because he’s a 6’7″ monster, but because his flaws are mostly mental and those are sometimes the hardest kind of things to fix. I don’t see defensive tackle as a huge area of need and I don’t see Armstead being very high on the Vikings draft board. I’d pass on him.

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