2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Osa Odighizuwa

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Osa Odighizuwa, 6-2/280 Defensive Tackle UCLA

Osa Odighizuwa Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Athletic; fast interior pass rusher

Closes on quarterbacks in a hurry

Speed to dart by guards

Natural pad level

Can redirect

Can sink his hips and play low

Agile to contort his body

Active hands to fight off blockers

Good vision, awareness

Dangerous three-technique rusher for a 4-3

Athletic upside to improve in the NFL

Weaknesses:

Weak run defender

Lacks size, weight and length

Struggles with downhill runs straight at him

Tweener body type

Could be limited to DPR role only

Summary: If the name Odighizuwa sounds familiar, its because Owa Odighizuwa is the younger brother of Owa Odighizuwa, who was a third-round pick of the Giants in the 2015 NFL Draft but didn’t stick in the NFL. Osa Odighizuwa was a steady interior pass rusher over the past three years for the Bruins. In 2018, his first season of consistent playing time, he collected 29 tackles, three sacks and two passes defended. Odighizuwa then produced his highest tackle totals in 2019 with 46 stops, 3.5 sacks and a pass batted. As a senior in 2020, Odighizuwa played well, getting after the quarterback to the tune of four sacks over seven games. He had 30 tackles and a pass batted as well in 2020.

Odighizuwa’s interior pass-rush ability is really what he makes him stand out. He has a burst off the snap that lets him fire upfield to penetrate into the pocket, and his relentless motor helps him to finish rushes by outfighting blockers to get to the quarterback. Odighizuwa uses active hands to keep guards from getting a hold of him, and his natural pad level keeps him low and helps him generate good leverage. Thanks to his decent athleticism and agility, Odighizuwa can contort his body to dip underneath blockers and keep gaining on the quarterback. Odighizuwa’s speed and athleticism to contribute in the pass rush are his calling cards to get drafted and play in the NFL.



Odighizuwa’s n run defense is a liability entering the next level. Considering he is vastly undersized for a pro defensive tackle, those issues may never change. Odighizuwa lacks length, height and weight to stand up blockers and keep them from getting a push. He can get knocked off the ball, and power guards in the NFL are going to pose a problem for pushing Odighizuwa out of his gap. He is going to have real issues defending downhill runs coming straight at him.

Odighizuwa has a tweener body type for the next level. He lacks the height and length to play defensive end while not having the weight to be a three-down starter as a defensive tackle. His best fit could be as a three-technique in a 4-3 defense, but even for that role, he will need to gain weight and strength to become a starter. He might be relegated to an interior designated pass rusher to come into the game in obvious passing situations.

In the 2021 NFL Draft, Odighizuwa could go as high as the third round. If he slips to the final day of the draft, he could go in the fourth or fifth round.



Player Comparison: Denico Autry. Odighizuwa is like a shorter version of Autry. Autry (6-5, 285) has issues holding up as a run defender but is a dangerous interior pass rusher while being light for a NFL defensive tackle. If Odighizuwa can stick in the NFL, he could be a dangerous interior rusher similar to Autry.

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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