2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Joseph Ossai

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Joseph Ossai, 6-4/253 Linebacker Texas

Joseph Ossai Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Strong

Physical defender

Puts quarterbacks down hard

Plays hard; motor never quits

Has some straight-line speed

Dangerous edge rusher

Strength as a run defender

Good pursuit run defender

Give a second effort

Good character

Good fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker

Weaknesses:

Stiff

Not a good athlete

No moves or wiggle as a defensive end

Not a fit for a 4-3 defense

Lacks the size to be a 4-3 defensive end

Lacks the athleticism to be a 4-3 outside linebacker

Summary: Over the past two seasons, Ossai was one of the Big XII’s more consistent and steadier edge defenders. He worked his way onto the field as a sophomore and totaled 90 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and one pass defended. His tackle total dipped in 2020, mostly due to the reduced season, but the junior was a more consistent pass rusher even though his sack total did not grow. Ossai totaled 54 stops, five sacks, three forced fumbles and two passes batted in 2020. With two straight quality years of play, he opted to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ossai is a strong edge rusher who has a good motor and fights hard. He has the strength to shed and uses that power to put quarterbacks into the turf with some violence. Off the snap, Ossai has some speed and explosion in a straight line to get upfield. He is very stiff, however, and struggles to redirect. That stiffness makes it difficult for Ossai to dodge blockers and utilize some typical pass-rushing moves. Ossai does not have the size, moves, or wiggle to be a 4-3 defensive end, so he looks limited to being a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.



Ossai is tough in the ground game and finds a way to contribute, as he pursues hard to the football and never quits on plays. With his straight-line quickness, Ossai shows an ability to get in on tackles from the backside. His strength helps him to hold up, and he should be a quality run defender as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Some 4-3 teams have Ossai graded on Day 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft because he is not a good fit for their defenses. He is a solid fit for 3-4 outside linebacker, however, and looks like a second-day pick for NFL teams that run a 3-4.



Player Comparison: Jarvis Jones. Ossai compares well with Jarvis Jones in that both are edge defenders who have some straight-line speed to go along with strength, but struggle with stiffness and are not fits for a 4-3 defense. Jones (6-3, 248) and Ossai are almost identical in size as well. While Jones was a bust, I think Ossai’s motor and effort will make him a more effective pro, so he could be a better version of Jones and turn into a more solid contributor and a role player in the NFL.

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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