Viliami Fehoko, EDGE San Jose State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Fehoko was a three-star tight end/edge recruit from Saint Francis in Mountain View, Calif. in the class of 2018

San Jose State defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko was one of college football’s most productive players in 2022. The redshirt junior played everywhere along the defensive front for the Spartans. That versatility and Fehoko’s refined arsenal of pass rush moves should attract attention on the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Viliami Fehoko, EDGE San Jose State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year redshirt junior defensive end from East Palo Alto, Calif.

Background: Fehoko was a three-star tight end/edge recruit from Saint Francis in Mountain View, Calif. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,576 recruit according to 247Sports. Fehoko was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and didn’t receive a star ranking or grade out of 100 from ESPN or On3.com. As a high school senior, he earned First-Team All-West Coast Athletic League, First-Team All-Bay Area (Bay Area News Group), and honorable mention All-Metro (San Francisco Chronicle) honors. Fehoko committed to San Jose State over offers from Arizona, Cal, Hawaii, and Montana State. He speaks Tongan and can communicate using sign language. Fehoko is a former member of the East Palo Alto Razorbacks rugby club. He’s related to Cedric Lousi, who played along the defensive line at San Jose State from 2010-15 before becoming a graduate assistant, and Latahevai Lousi, who played volleyball at an All-Mountain West level for the Spartans from 2016-2021. Fehoko is a second cousin of Vita Vea, who went 12th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2018 NFL Draft and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021.

2022 Production: 12 games, 69 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 66 pressures, 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defensed

2021 Production: 12 games, 37 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 52 pressures, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 6 passes defensed

2020 Production: 8 games, 36 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 35 pressures, 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defensed

2019 Production: 12 games, 44 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 20 pressures, 1 sack, 4 passes defensed

2018 Production: 4 games, 5 tackles (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 First-Team All-Mountain West, 2021 First-Team All-Mountain West, 2022 First-Team All-Mountain West, 2022 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, 2022 Second-Team All-American (PFF & Sporting News)

Pros: Highly experienced with more than 2,200 defensive snaps, gets hands up for PBUs, thick throughout frame, quick feet, density to play through contact in his rush plan or on the way to the ball against the run, violent and active hands, motor runs hot, core and upper body strength to torque or toss linemen, lateral bounce, quick off the line, attacks inside rush lanes, initial punch packs pop to stun linemen, hesitation move, swim move, spin move, rip move, push-pull move, executes swim moves on inside and outside rush lanes, powerful swipes to throw linemen off balance, attacks the tackle’s hands, displays some suddenness as a rusher, pairs footwork with upper body to execute pass rush moves, flashes of bending and flattening his rush angle, wrecking ball when he carries his full momentum into a rush, maintains and builds momentum on stunts, knows when to spin back into the play, some instances of turning outside runs back inside, uses a swim to slip off linemen climbing vertically in the run game, footwork lets him bounce between gaps quickly, frequently penetrates or disrupts outside zone by beating linemen to their spots, compresses the line on inside runs

Cons: Age, arm length could draw questions, competition level, frame potentially tapped out, limited special teams versatility, committed eight penalties in 2021 and three in 2022, lacks high-end agility to finish tackles in small spaces, burst is inconsistent, missed opportunities to finish sacks, needs to wrap up more often on sack attempts, speed rush doesn’t threaten the tackle’s outside shoulder, limited bend due to hip and lower body stiffness, needs to load and extend his hands sooner, spin move is often ineffective, too methodical approaching the tackle (needs to be more urgent), must reduce surface space for offensive linemen to target, not going to break many anchors, frequently stalemated as a rusher, pad level rises quickly, leverage plays into balance concerns, allows offensive linemen into his pads, playstyle can be wild at times, displaced by double teams, doesn’t consistently set a hard edge, delayed by tight ends too often, inconsistent generating separation from blocks

Overview: Fehoko is unofficially listed at 6'4", 263 lbs. He applied pressure on 9.22% of his pass rush attempts in 2019, 13.57% in 2020, 14.13% in 2021, and 19.88% in 2022. Fehoko has experience rushing from two and three-point stances. San Jose State treated him like their ultimate chess piece. Fehoko lined up everywhere but 0 and 1-tech. He projects best to the NFL at 4 or 5-tech but possesses the thick, muscular build to provide reps as a 3-tech. The Spartans even gave Fehoko some looks from 6-tech, but those snaps will be few and far between for him in the NFL. The Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year is versatile enough to play in a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive scheme. He has more than 2,200 collegiate defensive snaps to his name. Fehoko is dense enough to play through contact in his rush plan or on the way to the ball against the run. He has active, violent hands that attack the lineman’s hands. Fehoko has the core and upper body strength to torque or toss linemen, and his powerful swipes throw linemen off balance. He is quick off the line and has a high motor. Fehoko’s quick feet and lateral bounce help him navigate around heavier linemen. He displays surprising flashes of suddenness because of his light feet and active upper body. Fehoko’s initial punch packs enough pop to stun linemen. As a pass rusher, he frequently attacks inside rush lanes and seamlessly pairs his upper and lower body movements. The California native uses hesitation, push-pull, rip, swim, and spin moves in his rush plan. He shows flashes of bending and flattening his rush angle. Fehoko is a wrecking ball when he carries his full momentum into a rush. He knows when to spin back into the action on both passing and rushing plays. There are some instances on tape of Fehoko turning outside runs back inside. His footwork lets him bounce between gaps quickly to mirror running backs, and he frequently penetrates or disrupts outside zone by beating linemen to their spots. Fehoko compresses the line on inside runs and uses his swim move to slip the blocks of climbing linemen. The former three-star recruit is an older prospect whose frame appears tapped out. He primarily dominated against lower-level competition and has questionable arm length. Fehoko committed 11 penalties over the past two years. His burst is inconsistent, and he lacks the high-end agility to finish tackles in space against shiftier players. Fehoko didn’t always capitalize on his opportunities as a pass rusher. He failed to wrap up and finish on multiple sack attempts. His speed rush doesn’t threaten the tackle’s outside shoulder. Fehoko has limited bend due to hip and lower body stiffness. His spin move is often ineffective. The redshirt junior is too methodical approaching the tackle and needs to show more urgency. Coaches will want to see him load and extend his hands sooner. He also needs to reduce his surface space to provide a smaller target for offensive linemen. Fehoko’s pad level rises quickly, and his poor use of leverage plays into some balance concerns. It doesn’t help that he allows linemen into his pads. Fehoko is an active and aggressive pass rusher, but his playstyle becomes wild and undisciplined at times. As a run defender, Fehoko doesn’t consistently set a hard edge. He is displaced by double teams and should have less trouble with tight ends than he does. The San Jose State star is inconsistent at generating separation from blocks.

Overall, Fehoko is a veteran pass rusher who brings a refined set of pass rush moves and a powerful, violent upper body to the field, but he plays with questionable leverage and some physical limitations. Fehoko’s experience playing across the defensive line should make him an intriguing mid-Day 3 addition.

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Early Fifth to Early Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 01-26-23