2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Azeez Ojulari

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Azeez Ojulari, 6-2/240 Outside Linebacker Georgia

Azeez Ojulari Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous pass rusher

Tough

Plays hard

Good motor

Will use his length to keep blockers away from him

Uses length in both phases

Has some functional power

Good move to the inside

Good football character

Willing run defender

Run-and-chase run defender

Has a burst to close when running free

Has some experience in pass coverage in the flat

Weaknesses:

Lacks speed

Needs more moves as a pass rusher

Can have issues getting of blocks

Not an explosive pass rusher

Not a good fit in a 4-3 defense

Too undersized for defensive end

Limited as an outside linebacker

Summary: Ojulari was tough off the edge for the Bulldogs over the last two years, providing a real presence for their defense. In 2019, Ojulari worked his way onto the field and recorded 36 tackles with 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He was more consistent as a pass rusher in 2020 even though his sack total remained the same – 5.5. He also picked up 27 tackles, two forced fumbles and two passes batted in 2020.

As a pass rusher, Ojulari is a mixed bag. He has some good traits that lead to him getting to the quarterback, but he also faces some significant limitations for the NFL. On the negative side, Ojulari is not a pure speed demon off the edge who has the explosiveness to run by offensive tackles. He also lacks pass-rushing moves, and he can really struggle to get off blocks at times. Ojulari has the arm length to keep tackles away from him, but when they get into his chest and lock onto him, he can really struggle to get free of blockers. Ojulari’s undersized height and length come into play there, and getting off blocks is going to be an issue against NFL offensive tackles. On the plus side as a pass rusher, Ojulari plays really hard and tough. He has some functional strength with an ability to close when he runs free. Ojulari has a good motor and doesn’t quit on plays with a relentless attitude.



In the ground game, Ojulari plays hard, and he uses his length in this phase as well. Ojulari is a good pursuit run defender who charges hard and has some strength as a tackler. He could have issues in the NFL with handling runs coming downhill straight at him. Thus, he has some scheme limitations.

Ojulari’s best fit as a pro 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 outside linebacker and rush off the edge in the sub package.

Ojulari made the most of his strengths to create some steady rush for Georgia, but his pass-rush ability could be reduced significantly by NFL offensive tackles. Many teams have Ojulari graded on the second day of the 2021 NFL Draft, but he could have a shot at being a late first-round pick because it only takes one team to fall in love.



Player Comparison: Noah Spence. Multiple team sources said Ojulari was similar to Spence. Spence (6-2, 251) and Ojulari are almost identical in size and have some skill-set limitations. Spence was a high second-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he was a disappointment and has ended up being a backup-caliber pass rusher. I could see Ojulari having a similar career.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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