BJ Ojulari, EDGE LSU: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Ojulari was a four-star recruit from Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga. in the class of 2020

BJ Ojulari is the brother of current New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari. Azeez received some first round hype going into the 2021 NFL Draft, but BJ has the better chance of turning into a top 32 selection. The LSU rising junior is on breakout watch ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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BJ Ojulari, EDGE LSU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior outside linebacker from Marietta, Ga.

Background: Ojulari was a four-star recruit from Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 84 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 123 for Rivals, and No. 77 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 122nd in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. In high school, Ojulari spent some time playing right tackle along with edge rusher. In his four varsity seasons, he amassed 326 tackles and 36 sacks, including a school record 19 sacks in his 2019 senior season. That year, Ojulari led his team to the Class 7A state championship. He competed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame World Bowl. The Georgia native averaged roughly 7.6 tackles per game during his 43-game high school career. His full name is Jamiu Bolaji Ojulari. His brother is former Georgia Bulldog and current New York Giant, Azeez Ojulari. The younger Ojulari originally committed to Tennessee before switching to LSU.

2021 Production: 13 games, 54 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 54 pressures, 7 sacks, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 10 games, 16 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 24 pressures, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defensed

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 Freshman All-SEC

Pros: Missed tackles haven’t been a concern, never penalized in college, special teams experience on punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, burst and closing speed to make plays as the backside run defender, if he gets even with the tackle he’s going to turn the corner, won the tackle’s inside shoulder and made a sack while being held against Florida (2021), takes advantage of inside rush lanes when tackles overset, won with an inside spin move against Florida (2021), wins with inside and outside spin moves, motor runs hot, excellent linear speed, adequate arm length, patiently observes the mesh point in RPOs and play action before making a play on the ball carrier, varies rush tempo to lull the tackle and win the inside shoulder, inside swim move, violent hands, excellent bend and agility

Cons: Very few snaps in coverage, lean frame that can be walled off by large tackles, his hands get out of control sometimes and allow linemen into his pads, doesn’t consistently maintain leverage, too many plays both against the run and pass where he’s zeroed out one-on-one, should use his burst and bend to turn the corner more often, attempts too many power rushes that go nowhere, inconsistent when attempting to anchor against the run, struggled to disengage from blocks and redirect to the football

Overview: Ojulari is unofficially listed at 6'3", 250 lbs. He successfully applied pressure on about 12.7% of his rush attempts as a freshman and 14.5% as a sophomore in 2021. Ojulari is an exceptional athlete who displays exciting burst, linear speed, and bend. He’s able to win and bend around a tackle’s outside shoulder frequently but also possesses the agility to redirect and win the inside shoulder. Ojulari already has a viable spin move that works both inside and outside. He varies his pass rush tempo and uses wide steps to try and open the tackle’s inside shoulder and uses a bull rush to sometimes displace linemen or set up a secondary move. The rising junior has violent hands that stun and disarm blockers. Ojulari brings his high motor play to run defense as well, making plenty of tackles in pursuit. However, the Georgia native’s frame appears lean and is sometimes overpowered by linemen. This issue, combined with undisciplined hand usage and a high pad level, leads to linemen getting into Ojulari’s pads and driving him out of the play. His play strength in general could improve as there are too many instances where his bull rushes or attempts to set the edge in run defense falter against stronger opponents and he fails to disengage from their blocks.

Overall, Ojulari is a dynamic pass rusher with a developing arsenal of moves. He’s one of the few players in this class who frequently wins to the tackle’s inside shoulder. Concerns about Ojulari’s down-to-down impact and play strength prevent him from earning a first round evaluation this summer, but he could easily develop into a top-32 selection during the course of the 2022 season.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme who rushes from a two or three-point stance

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-21-22