UCLA Defensive Lineman Otito Ogbonnia Dominates Bench Press at NFL Combine
Otito Ogbonnia made sure his powerlifting roots were on display in Indianapolis.
The UCLA football defensive lineman finally got on the field for workouts at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday. Before the NFL Network broadcast began, Ogbonnia gave scouts a behind-the-scenes look at his strength on the bench press.
Ogbonnia has a history as a competitive weightlifter – benching as much as 440 pounds and once squatting 683 pounds – earning a spot on The Athletic's Bruce Feldman's preseason freaks list for both that and his past as a champion shotputter. The Bruin topped the list of all defensive players at the combine by racking up 29 reps on the bench press, actually recording 31 reps with two penalty deductions.
Coming in at 6-foot-3.5 and 326 pounds put Ogbonnia right in the sweet spot for his position, and his 35 1/8-inch arms were tied for fifth longest among defensive linemen. That mark was seen as a positive for his stock, and it ultimately made his bench press success all the more impressive.
Ogbonnia did not run the 40-yard dash, next getting in on the action for the technique drills for his position.
Ogbonnia showed off his footwork with the half round dummies, then got to work with the pop-up dummies in pass rush drills. He even ran the spin move drill cleanly, something not every lineman was able to do.
The figure-8 drill marked a step back for Ogbonnia, who came up limping midway through. The injury appeared to be a right hamstring issue, and Ogbonnia wound up missing the body control drill to end the day.
Ogbonnia opted out of UCLA's bowl game in December to rehab from a lower body injury he had been playing through all season. Ogbonnia totaled 30 tackles, 5.0 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the Bruins in 2021.
There are 10 days remaining until UCLA hosts its pro day on March 15 at Wasserman Football Center, and it remains to be seen if Ogbonnia is ready to go for that event. Receiver Kyle Philips, who participated in the combine Thursday night, also went down with an apparent shoulder injury towards the end of his on-field work in Indianapolis.
The final Bruin remaining at the combine is safety Quentin Lake, who will take the field with the defensive backs and special teamers on Sunday. Philips and tight end Greg Dulcich got their work in Thursday, while offensive lineman Sean Rhyan participated on Friday.
The 2022 NFL Draft begins April 28, with the second and third rounds set for April 29 and the fourth through seventh rounds taking place April 30.
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