Azeez Ojulari has burst onto the scene in his redshirt sophomore season
Coming into the season, the edge rushing group was one that was highly contested. It was headlined by the likes of Miami’s Gregory Rousseau, Pitt’s Patrick Jones II, and Penn State’s Jayson Oweh. Now, however, there may be a new sheriff in town as Georgia’s explosive pass rusher Azeez Ojulari has burst onto the scene.
Just a redshirt sophomore, and just 19 years old, Ojulari is instilling fear in SEC offensive linemen with his play on the field, and as a result, his 2021 NFL Draft stock is on the rise. Here we will take a deep look at Ojulari, where he wins, has room to improve, and what his draft outlook is as we are nearing closer to the draft in April.
Looking at the box score
A year ago as a redshirt freshman, Ojulari racked up five and a half sacks and five tackles for loss in a rotational role for the Bulldogs. Now a focal point of the Georgia defense, and with a much more aesthetic number, Ojulari has taken a massive leap on the field in Athens.
Through eight games this season, Ojulari has already topped his numbers from a year ago, racking up six and a half sacks, eight and a half tackles for loss, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles for the Bulldogs.
Ojulari is making his case to be the top pass rusher in the class, and most impressively, he will be just 20 years old by the time he is drafted should he declare. What makes Ojulari so special, and where can he continue to improve? We take a look here next.
Where Ojulari wins
At every level of Ojulari’s pass rush process, there are elements to enjoy on film.
Starting with his first step, Ojulari packs a ton of explosiveness and burst in his back foot, and when lined up as a seven-technique, he has the ability to absolutely blow by offensive tackles without the need for much of a pass rush plan. This, however, does not mean that Ojulari does not have a plan, as he possess a full bag of tricks and nuance as he gets after opposing quarterbacks.
With a variety of moves, Ojulari can win with his most frequent move of a chop/rip, but possesses good push/pull, long arm, and hump move to get by offensive tackles as well and win his reps. Just as important to the use of hands in a pass rush plan is bend, and Ojulari has the ability to take some of the tightest corners in the class. A natural athlete, Ojulari tends to get held a ton as he can twist his body and make it thin, giving offensive linemen less to work with.
Not only is Ojulari a natural athlete (who can also drop into coverage and look fluid), but his functional play strength is off the charts as well. He has no fear as he takes on and stonewalls pulling guards, holding the edge with a commitment to his assignment. He plays with great leverage, and has the ability to hold the point of attack, shed blockers, and make plays against the run at or around the line of scrimmage.
Ojulari has the makings of a complete pass rusher.
Where Ojulari shows room for improvement
There is, however, some fine tuning to he done to the game of Ojulari as well with the 2021 NFL Draft rapidly approaching.
While Ojulari is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic and explosive players in the entire draft class, he could do a better job at timing the snap count and getting a better jump off the line of scrimmage. Look at the way Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns or T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers get off the line of scrimmage; if Ojulari can get on their level off the snap, he has the ability to reach a whole new level to his game.
When working in run support, Ojulari’s pursuit pattern can get a bit rounded off as he attempts to avoid traffic in his path. An area of improvement in the run game for the Georgia pass rusher is his ability to work laterally and through the traffic instead of around it. He has the speed and power to do so, but displays hesitation on tape.
Lastly, while Ojulari possesses nuance as a pass rusher and with his hands, he tends to lack a counter on the attack. Should his initial attack be countered by the offensive lineman in front of him, Ojulari struggles to react in a timely manner and tends to revert to his instincts and looking to get his hands on the ball instead.
The good outweighs the bad for Ojulari, and how will that translate to his 2021 NFL Draft stock.
2021 NFL Draft outlook of Azeez Ojulari
There is no doubt in the mind of this writer that Azeez Ojulari is a first round talent. In fact, he and Michigan’s Kwity Paye may have a slugfest to the very end on who the top edge rusher in the class will be. However, one thing is for certain, Ojulari has made every bit of a claim to earn the title of EDGE1 in the 2021 NFL Draft as we are now just five months away.
In this writer’s most recent mock draft, Ojulari made his way to the Arizona Cardinals with the 15th pick in the draft. So not only is he a top-32 talent, but he will likely find his way into the top half of the first round. Should he declare, he will make even more fans at the NFL Scouting Combine as he will dominate nearly every event.
He is explosive, fast, strong, and smart. Ojulari has made a name for himself on the field and has earned the respect of many, including Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, who had the following to say on the Georgia star:
"“In my opinion, Azeez Ojulari is destined to be a star and an early draft pick. He’s an athletic linebacker who often comes out of a three-point stance for the UGA defense. Ojulari is quick and strong for his size, and he plays with great balance. He needs to develop his game, but I love his upside.”"
As this April rolls closer, it will be interesting to see how the race for EDGE1 continues to unfold. Will Ojulari pull away from Paye, or will it stay a fight until the end?