Orakpo attended the NFL Combine with much anticipation due to his well-known reputation as a "workout warrior". His 31 reps in the bench press ranked second among all defensive ends and seventh best among all defensive linemen. His 39.5-inch vertical jump was second for all defensive lineman, and he showed his speed and acceleration while recording a 4.63 40-yard dash time. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Orakpo was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the best defensive end/outside linebacker prospect in the draft by NFL analyst Bucky Brooks, was ranked the second best defensive end by DraftScout.com, and was ranked the second best outside linebacker in the draft by NFL analyst Mike Mayock.
