Overview
Position: Edge defender
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 262 pounds
School: Tulane Green Wave
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.60 seconds
Bench press: 18 reps
Vertical jump: 38.5 inches (second among defensive linemen)
Broad jump: 10 feet, 8 inches (second among defensive linemen)
Three-cone drill: 7.53 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.48 seconds
Ade Aruna 2018 NFL Draft Profile
It didn’t take long for Ade Aruna to turn into a viable prospect in high school. He played just one year of football at La Lumiere in La Porte, IN but in that time caught the eye of recruiting experts and college coaches. 247Sports.com rated him a top 50 strongside defensive end and Mississippi State, NC State and Rutgers were among his scholarship offers. He inevitably committed to Tulane, comprising their 2013 class.
Aruna’s lack of high school experience likely played a part in him sitting out his first year with the Green Wave. He saw limited action as a redshirt freshman the following season, appearing in eight games and tallying seven tackles (one for a loss) as well as a sack. But for the remainder of his college career, Aruna figured prominently into the pressure Tulane generated defending both the run and pass.
Over the next three seasons, Aruna totaled 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. It included a prolific redshirt junior campaign in which he accounted for half of the aforementioned sack total. He also tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries that year. His numbers took a bit of a dip in 2017 as he only tallied two sacks and three tackles for loss. But overall, Aruna boasts quite a bit of experience, having started 34 games while appearing in 44 total for the Green Wave. He also excelled in the classroom, earning American Athletic Conference All-Academic honors on multiple occasions.
Strengths
- has the physical features teams at the next level look for in the position;
- not maxed out in terms of ability to add functional mass;
- uses good knee bend and lower body power to get under lineman’s hands and turn the corner;
- fairly solid wrap-up tackler who rarely gives up yards after contact;
- played upright as well as a hand in the ground edge player at Tulane;
- explosiveness tested highly at Combine with exceptional vertical and broad jump scores;
- no real injury issues to speak of.
Weaknesses
- issues with initial burst off the ball results in suboptimal conversion of speed to power;
- sacrifices leverage with too high a pad level when bull rushing linemen;
- too often defaults to physicality over sound technique when rushing the passer;
- below average reactive athleticism shows up when forced to quickly change direction;
- frustratingly inconsistent defending the run;
- ability to generate negative plays took a noticeable dive as a senior;
- one-dimensional pass rusher with not much of a plan if his initial move doesn’t work.
NFL Comparison: Zach Moore
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans
Projection: Sixth round
Bottom Line
Aruna is a quintessential “traits guy” with enough there from the standpoint of talent to intrigue teams at the next level. It’s a testament to his work ethic and willingness to improve as a football player that he’s gone from brand new to the sport in 2012 to potential NFL draft pick this year. That said, he couldn’t replicate the numbers from his junior year with Tulane in 2017. And there are legitimate concerns about his every down value. It’s for that reason that he likely goes on day three of the draft as a developmental player with the potential to grow into a more consistent contributor down the line.
