Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 305
School: Charlotte 49ers
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.97 seconds
Bench press: 26 reps
Vertical jump: 32 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 8 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.55 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.75 seconds
Larry Ogunjobi 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Larry Ogunjobi has an interesting story of how he found himself under the NFL spotlight. Being a son of Nigerian immigrants, Ogunjobi had no background in football. In fact, he had not played a single snap of football until he was a sophomore in high school. Ogunjobi was an obese teenager, and as a 16-year old weighed over 350 pounds. His parents knew he needed to get into better shape, and with his size, football was recommended to him.
Of course, it took some time for Ogunjobi to lose some of his fat, build up some of his muscle and learn the game. Still, as a senior in high school he was down to 300 pounds. With his inexperience he flew under the recruiting radar and was a zero-star recruit. Charlotte, a new program that only moved to the division one level when he was a junior decided to take a chance on Ogunjobi in their first recruiting class. Needless to say the decision paid off.
Ogunjobi ended up started in every game in his college career. He recorded at least two sacks in every year of his career, and as a sophomore registered five. Against division one opponents, Ogunjobi recorded 62 tackles and 2.5 sacks as a junior. He also had 65 tackles and three sacks as a senior. Both seasons were strong enough to have him named as an All-C-USA performer. However, what Ogunjobi is even more proud of is being named an Academic All-American in his last two seasons of college as well.
Ogunjobi rarely played, and rarely faced strong competition, so needless to say his pre-draft process would be rather important. Ogunjobi turned heads and stood out in the Senior Bowl, and proved that he can move as well as any interior defender at the NFL combine. It put him on the map, and has him a number of teams NFL draft boards.
Strengths
- Wins with his hands.
- Has a low center of gravity.
- Tested to be an above average athlete.
- Wins with leverage.
- Shows an ability to change direction and defend the run.
- Played the one and the three-technique.
Weaknesses
- Not physically overpowering.
- Would have to put on muscle to play his natural position of nose tackle.
- May be best closer to the edge in a five-technique.
- Raw and inexperienced.
NFL Comparison: Stephen Paea
Teams with needs at position: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans
Projection: Fourth Round
Bottom Line
The question with Ogunjobi is where he fits best in the NFL. At college, his best snaps came at the nose, as a player who can beat centers with hands, or at least hold them up with his strength. However, centers and guards in the NFL are much stronger, and he may be a bit undersized for that role. While he has weighed heavier, most of that was fat, and in terms of muscle, his composition may be maxed out.
Paea is an undersized nose tackle, but he tested to be a much stronger individual, which is what has kept him in the NFL. Still, Paea is looked at more as a rotational and depth player than he is a starter. Ogunjobi can move better, and may help his career to adapt to moving all over the line, and potentially more in the three or five technique, than a one or zero. Still, that only adds a whole new style to learn for a player who already is inexperienced coming into the league.
His upside and ability to flash in limited time make him a valued draft prospect. The question of his fit, and when he can get onto the field slide him into the middle or late rounds of the 2017 NFL draft.
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