Azeez Ojulari: 'Destined to Be a Star, Early Draft Pick'
Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari has remained overlooked throughout his brief collegiate career. Despite leading the Bulldogs in sacks a year ago, he was left off all three preseason All-SEC teams by the coaches. In fact, his backup Nolan Smith was selected for the third team.
Now, after just six games, Ojulari has 4.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 forced fumbles and is finally receiving the attention he deserves.
Pro Football Network's Tony Pauline has listed Ojulari among his top 25 players available in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft and had some rather flattering things to say about the Georgia edge rusher:
"In my opinion, Azeez Ojulari is destined to be a star and an early draft pick. He’s an athletic linebacker who often comes out of a three-point stance for the UGA defense. Ojulari is quick and strong for his size, and he plays with great balance. He needs to develop his game, but I love his upside."
Pro Football Network actually has Ojulari going as high as No. 10 overall to the Atlanta Falcons in their latest NFL mock draft. It was noted that Atlanta is in need of a dominant pass rusher and Ojulari has the ferocious intensity that the Falcons need on that side of the ball at the defensive end position.
Many will remember that Ojulari entered the Georgia program as an outside linebacker who was undersized in terms of his weight. At 6-foot-3, Ojulari arrived on campus fresh off knee surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered his senior season at Marietta High School and weighed in at around 220 pounds.
After just three years with the Georgia strength and conditioning staff, Ojulari has bulked up to a staggering 240 pounds and has become a much more explosive athlete.
He was the first freshman under head coach Kirby Smart to be named a captain during last season's Sugar Bowl, and he could be the first pass rusher to go in the first round of the NFL Draft from Georgia since Leonard Floyd in 2016.
There have been very few early draft selections for Georgia along the defensive line. The last true defensive end prospect to be drafted in the first round was David Pollack in 2005.
