Onwuzurike Picked by Lions, Goes Round Lower Than He Expected
With the University of Washington football team, Levi Onwuzurike showed he could be an explosive player, using his strong hands and well-placed leverage to his advantage. Yet he always was sort of shy when talking about it.
That changed when he became a highly regarded NFL prospect. As the defensive tackle gloves came off, the Allen, Texas, product, always a charming personality, put on a surprisingly brash face.
"I'm the best D-tackle in the draft," Onwuzurike said flatly following his UW Pro Day. "So the best D-tackle in the draft should go in the first round."
His assessment proved to be more hopeful than anything. Instead, the NFL scouts saw a second-rounder. However, Onwuzurike was nearly right about one thing — he was the second-best defensive tackle in the draft, going three picks behind Alabama's Christian Barmore.
On Friday, there was still reason for celebration as the 6-foot-3, 293-pound Onwuzurike went to the Detroit Lions with the 41st pick. Ironically, he will be one of the candidates to replace Danny Shelton, a former UW defensive tackle who was the starter last season and has since moved on to the New York Giants.
Onwuzurike wound up nine slots in the draft behind UW teammate Joe Tryon, an outside linebacker who was taken the day before by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 32nd and final pick of the first round.
When pressed earlier about what separated him from the rest of college football's top defensive tackles awaiting the draft, the big Texan offered his own scouting report well-rehearsed.
"For me, my get off, my strong hands and my pass rush," Onwuzurike said. "Those three alone easily separate me from all the others. A lot of those guys can't do what I do and I can do what they do. One hundred percent, there's a big gap between us."
At Washington, Onwuzurike became a part-time starter as a sophomore and then fully established himself as a first-teamer the next year in 2019, enjoying a season worthy of being named a first-team All-Pac-12 selection.
With career stats of 95 tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, with seven sacks among them, Onwuzurike was prepared to play his senior season for the Huskies this past fall and enhance his football reputation when the pandemic hit.
He opted out after the Pac-12 chose to delay its football season ultimately to November and he went to work preparing himself for the pros. In late January, Onwuzurike attended the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and tested well.
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