Tyler Onyedim, Iowa State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Onyedim was a three-star recruit from Foster High School in Richmond, Texas in the class of 2021
Iowa State defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim has a lot of physical tools to work with, but he struggled to be a consistently disruptive force in 2023. Playing along Iowa State’s three-man defensive line certainly didn’t help. Onyedim projects as a Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Tyler Onyedim, DL Iowa State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior defensive end from Richmond, Texas
Background: Onyedim was a three-star recruit from Foster High School in Richmond, Texas in the class of 2021. He was the No. 1,404 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,346 for On3.com. Onyedim was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 73 grade out of 100. He lettered three times in high school, earning an All-District selection as a senior. That year, Onyedim totaled 63 tackles with 21 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. He produced 56 tackles with 18 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a junior. Onyedim also played basketball for Foster.
Injuries & Off-Field: Exited 2023 Kansas State game with an injury
Awards: 2022 Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team, 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Pros: Arm length appears exceptional, tall and long frame with room to work, some ability to reduce inside, long horizontal stride to exchange gaps at the snap, splits and fires through the B-gap, euro step, flashes of pop in hands, active hands, two-handed swipe, swim move, violent spin move, long-arm move, stacks blocks in the run game with a long-arm before shedding, anchors or re-anchors while contorting frame, contact balance
Cons: Doesn’t have the bulk of an almost 300-lb. defender, pad level pops up before he releases from the line, lacks explosive first step, doesn’t rush well vs. double teams, must maximize length and protect frame, unrefined hand counters, hands are frantic but not purposeful, set up for spin move can be predictable, just pinballs his way into some pressures, lacks the bend and speed to threaten the outside track, not a speed to power rusher, struggled to make any headway vs. TCU’s pass protectors (2023), lacks speed to corral mobile quarterbacks, flows with the action leading to him falling for misdirection, speed limits him as a backside run defender, poor gap integrity, collapses too far inside creating a soft edge in the run game, pushes vertically which opens run lanes
Overview: Onyedim takes snaps at 5-tech, 4-tech, 3-tech, 2-tech, and even occasionally at 0-tech for Iowa State’s defense, which often runs a 3-3-5 formation. These alignments and formations haven’t maximized Onyedim’s physical gifts or helped him develop to his full potential. The redshirt junior has exceptional arm length and a tall, long frame with room for further development. He’s listed at almost 300 lbs. but doesn’t seem to carry that much weight. Onyedim is big enough that he will be able to reduce inside occasionally at the NFL level, but he projects best playing even with or outside the tackles. He uses long horizontal strides to exchange gaps quickly as the ball is snapped. The Texas native splits the tackle and guard to fire through the B-gap. He also uses a euro step to get around blockers or soften angles. Onyedim has active hands that occasionally show signs of pop. He uses two-handed swipes, swims, spins, and long-arm moves as part of his rush plan. The former three-star recruit’s pad level immediately pops up at the snap, and he lacks an explosive first step to threaten tackles vertically. His hands are frantic but unrefined as he often fails to protect his frame or string together organized counters. Onyedim doesn’t maximize his arm length consistently. He sets up for his spin move, which telegraphs his intentions to offensive linemen. A bunch of Onyedim’s pressures in 2023 were the result of pinballing around until he reached the quarterback. He lacks the bend and looseness in his lower half to rush around the outside and flatten his angle to the quarterback. Onyedim isn’t a speed rusher. His lack of high-end agility prevents him from corralling quarterbacks once he gets into the pocket. As a run defender, Onyedim stacks blocks with a long-arm move before shedding them. He anchors or re-anchors while contorting his frame and has unique contact balance. Unfortunately, he often falls for misdirection and plays with poor gap integrity, either pushing too far upfield or collapsing too far into the tackle box. Onyedim must be more disciplined to set a hard edge against the run.
Overall, Onyedim’s tape isn’t fourth round-caliber, but his build and developmental traits are unteachable elements that warrant consideration for a top 130 selection. NFL teams can project a bump in his production once he gets a more consistent, traditional role within an NFL-style defense. Onyedim’s best weapons are his arms, and he must learn to maximize them.
Role & Scheme Fit: 4-3 base defensive end
Round Grade: Fourth Round
Size: 6'4", 295 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 05-18-24