2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: B.J. Ojulari

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B.J. Ojulari, 6-2/248 Outside Linebacker LSU

B.J. Ojulari Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous pass rusher

Tough

Plays hard

Good motor

Will use his active hands to keep blockers away from him

Has some functional power

Long arms – 34.25 inches

Good move to the inside

Good football character

Willing run defender

Run-and-chase ground-game defender

Has a burst to close when running free

Has some experience in pass coverage in the flat

Weaknesses:

Lacks size

Lacks height

Can have issues getting of blocks

Not a good fit in a 4-3 defense

Too undersized for DE

Limited as an OLB

Summary: Ojulari was a dangerous pass rusher for LSU over the past three seasons, plus was a disruptive presence behind the line. As a freshman in 2020, he had an impressive debut with four sacks and 16 tackles while playing in a rotation. Ojulari became a starter in 2021 and recorded seven sacks and 54 tackles. In his final season with the Tigers, Ojulari totaled 5.5 sacks, 58 tackles and one forced fumble.

As a pass rusher, Ojulari is a capable quarterback hunter. He has some good traits that lead to him getting to the quarterback, but he also has some limitations for the NFL. Like his brother Azeez, B.J. Ojulari plays really hard and tough. He has some functional strength and an ability to close when he runs free. Ojulari has a good motor and doesn’t quit on plays with a relentless attitude. Despite lacking height, Ojulari has long arms for his size, and he uses them with active hands to fight blockers off of him. Ojulari has a burst off the ball and the speed to turn the corner. He is fast to close and is a adept at dodging blockers to get upfield quickly.

Ojulari plays hard in the ground game and uses his length in this phase as well. He is a good pursuit run defender who chargers hard and brings some strength as a tackler. However, his lack of size and length put him at a disadvantage. As a pro, he could have issues with defending runs coming downhill straight at him. Thus, he has some scheme limitations for the next level.



Ojulari is short and lacks height. That limits him as a run defender and could make him more of a designated pass rusher. For the NFL, Ojulari’s best fit could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He lacks the size and length to be a 4-3 defensive end. In a 4-3, he would have to move to Sam – strongside – outside linebacker who rushes off the edge in the sub package. In the NFL, Ojulari might settle into a role as a designated pass rusher for the sub package.

Ojulari has the potential to go as high as the second round in the 2023 NFL Draft. He should not go lower than Round 4.



Player Comparison: Noah Spence. Like his older brother Azeez Ojulari, B.J. Ojulari is similar to Spence. Spence (6-2, 251) and the Ojularis are almost identical in size with some skill-set limitations. Spence was a high second-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2016, but he was a disappointment and has ended up being a backup-caliber pass rusher. I could see B.J. Ojulari being a better version of Spence as a rotational pass rusher in NFL.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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