NFL Draft Profile: Owen Pappoe, Linebacker, Auburn Tigers
In this story:
#0
Pos: LB
Ht: 6002
Wt: 225
Hand: 0918
Arm: 3168
Wing: 7800
40: 4.39
DOB: 9/29/2000
Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA
High School: Grayson
Eligibility: 2023
Owen Pappoe
Auburn Tigers
One-Liner:
A bruising linebacker that brings speed and force over the middle and in the backfield.
Evaluation:
Well-built frame with athletic musculature and adequate length for a stacked backer. Good downhill burst, an easy trigger in his run-pass read. Sheds blocks with tremendous hand usage, reminiscent of a pass rusher. A clean hitter that forces fumbles with hit velocity. Active feet and fluid hips to carry three strong in coverage or drop from a mugged look. He can Flow to the boundary and tackle the ball carrier before he gets to the track. Lateral Agility and speed to pick up motion players or backs on swings. Effort and motor are not a question. Downfield tackles are prevalent. Can over pursue and leave cutback lanes. Loses gap integrity as a freelancer at times. Questionable pursuit angles. Vision and first step lead him to take the cheese on motions and other action. Looks a little uncomfortable as a hook-curl zone dropper. Pappoe is an athletic stacked backer who would do best as a 4-3 will in the NFL. His ability to play the run with hand usage and lateral agility allows him to be useful on early downs. Pair this with his speed and fluidity to mirror and match and there’s a world where he’s a three-down player or at least a sub-package defender in the NFL. He will need to clean up some vision and instinctual tendencies but a strong performance at the Senior Bowl could vault his draft positioning.
Grade:
3rd Round
Background:
Owen Pappoe made an impact for the Tigers immediately when he got on campus. As a true freshman he started every game at linebacker and was a midseason freshman All American. In 2020, he recorded ninety three tackles and had double digit tackles in the Citrus Bowl. In 2021, he was the Preseason All SEC first team. Owen Pappoe is the son of Rhoda and Lorenzo Pappoe and is studying in the College of Engineering at Auburn University.
