Adetokunbo Ogundeji NFL Draft Overview
Position: Edge Defender
Height: 6’-4″
Weight: 268 pounds
School: Notre Dame
Adetokunbo Ogundeji 2021 NFL Draft Profile
The draft stock of Adetokunbo Ogundeji trends up or down depending on which scouting report you read. The slow start to his college career with the Fighting Irish and lack of superstar production is unlikely to turn the head of every NFL team. However, Ogundeji possesses prototypical size for the position, displayed solid playing strength as a starter, and the production improved steadily every year. Ogundeji could benefit from a solid 2020 campaign for Notre Dame, which was in the national spotlight last season and made College Football Playoff Semifinal.
Ogundeji grew up in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He didn’t play football until his freshman year at Walled Lake Central High School. However, the athletic ability of Ogundenji was obvious and he originally committed to Western Michigan. He eventually de-committed from Western Michigan after a productive junior season put the defensive end on the radar of larger programs. Ogundeji committed to Notre Dame but unfortunately suffered a knee injury as a senior in High School which derailed the beginning of his college career.
After playing on the scout team as a freshman and sparingly for the Fighting Irish as a sophomore, Ogundeji added weight to his frame over his first two seasons on campus. He earned more playing time as a junior, racking up 25 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. As a senior in 2019, Ogundeji’s production trended upwards again as he made 26 total tackles and three sacks. Ogundeji opted to return as a redshirt senior in 2020 and tallied a career-high six sacks his final season in college.
Strengths
- Great size for the edge position – Has height, length, and added weight to his frame throughout college;
- Improved every year in college – Late to football, trending upward;
- Lands a strong first punch off the snap;
- Plays strong – Bull rush could be his potential bread and butter;
- Plays hard – length and size are a problem for offensive linemen.
Weaknesses
- Stiff in his pass rush – loses his momentum quickly;
- Didn’t seem to have the engine for an every-down role – statistical efficiency drops;
- Doesn’t change direction well to make tackles in the open field;
- Slow to come off blocks to make a tackle in the running game;
- Doesn’t get to the edge consistently against tackles – best rushes came against guards.
NFL Comparison: Deatrich Wise
Wise didn’t test well and a lack of reps in college hurt his draft stock as he was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. However, Wise has the ideal size and length to play edge in the NFL. He has turned himself into a productive player at the pro level. Wise has recorded 14 career sacks in four seasons for New England.
Teams With Need at Position: Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings
Projection: Day Three Pick
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Bottom Line on Adetokunbo Ogundeji
The production wasn’t special in college by Ogundeji and he’s never going to test well in a 40-yard dash. That lack of speed and quick-twitch ability shows on tape. However, the defensive end added over 60 pounds to his frame over his time in college and there’s room to add more. Ogundeji displays powerful upper body strength and an ability to push linemen around when he times his initial punch off the snap right. His hand placement and general technique also improved every year in college.
The other major knock-on Ogundeji is that he wasn’t able to hold up when asked to take on a higher number of snaps. He ran out of gas on drives and was unable to get into the backfield regularly when his snap count increases. Perhaps a sign that he’s still getting used to playing at just under 270 pounds.
That said, Ogundeji is certainly a draftable edge defender. He will add depth as a rotational edge piece to a contender. However, he shouldn’t be counted on as a game-changing every-down disruptor. Therefore, Ogundeji projects as a developmental starter who would benefit from a full offseason NFL conditioning program and coaching up in his technique. However, the size and length are enticing and make Ogundeji an intriguing prospect to track on draft weekend.
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