NFL Draft Profile: Viliami Fehoko, EDGE, San Jose State Spartans
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Viliami Fehoko
San Jose State Spartans
#42
Pos: EDGE
Ht: 6035
Wt: 276
Hand: 0900
Arm: 3300
Wing: 7768
40: 4.85
DOB: 12/16/1999
Hometown: East Palo Alto, CA
High School: Saint Francis
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
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.
Evaluation:
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.
Grade:
5th Round
Background:
Originally from East Palo Alto, California. He attended Saint Francis High School and was rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports. Attended Saint Jose State University. Decided to redshirt his first season. As a redshirt freshman, he played in all twelve games, totaling forty-four tackles and one sack. During the shortened 2020 season, he started in all eight games, totaling six sacks and thirty-six tackles with 12.5 tackles for loss, which ranked first in the Mountain West. As a redshirt sophomore, he started in all twelve games, totaling thirty-six tackles, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles. He ranked first on the team in sacks and forced fumbles. Named to the 2021 All-Mountain First Team. During his redshirt junior season, he started in all twelve games, totaling sixty-nine tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles. Named the 2022 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Projected as an undrafted free agent in the 2023 NFL Draft.
