Emmanuel Ogbah Declares for 2016 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Emmanuel Ogbah's stock has risen steadily over his sophomore and junior seasons, and the Oklahoma State defensive end will strike while the iron is hot. Ogbah announced Wednesday that he will skip his senior season and enter the 2016 NFL draft. 

A member of the 2012 recruiting class, Ogbah didn't arrive in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to much fanfare. According to 247Sports' composite ranking, he was the No. 44 strong-side defensive end and the No. 789 player overall that season.

After redshirting in 2012 and playing a supporting role in 2013, the Houston-area native exploded for 11 sacks and and 17 tackles for loss in 2014.

Once a pass-rusher has a breakout season, his numbers usually fall slightly the next year as opposing teams do more to try to minimize his impact on a game. However, Ogbah picked up 13 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 2015.

In his most recent player rankings, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Ogbah as the 40th-best player and the fifth-best edge defender in the 2016 draft class. Pro Football Focus was at the very least enthusiastic about Ogbah's work at Oklahoma State:

Kyle Crabbs of NDT Scouting offered a succinct summary of Ogbah's strengths and weaknesses:

Ogbah possesses the ideal blend of size, speed and strength coming off the edge. He's listed at 6'4" and 275 pounds on Oklahoma State's website, and he'll likely bulk up a bit more once he starts preparing for the draft.

Looking at his physical traits, there's no reason Ogbah shouldn't be a success at the next level. But even the most supreme athletes will struggle if they don't have the technique to match their raw talent. Ogbah remains a work in progress and will have to learn more of the nuances that come with being an NFL defensive lineman.

The Cowboys star will wind up at one of two extremes in the NFL. He'll either become a dominant pass-rusher who makes multiple Pro Bowls, or he'll be the next Barkevious Mingo—somebody who possesses all the necessary physical tools but fails to translate that into his actual performance.

No matter what he does at Oklahoma State's pro day and the scouting combine, Ogbah is unlikely to cement himself as the No. 1 edge defender in the eyes of NFL scouts and general managers. Joey Bosa is universally regarded as one of the best players available overall—let alone the best defensive end.

Over the next few months, he'll want to consolidate his status as a Day 1 prospect and remain in the discussion with other first-round-caliber defensive ends such as Shaq Lawson and DeForest Buckner.