Eagles Brotherly Love: B.J. Ojulari Could Land in NFC East with Sibling Azeez
It was 10 years ago that the Philadelphia Eagles drafted a player who wore the No. 18 at LSU.
That was defensive tackle Bennie Logan, who had a successful career as the team’s third-round pick that year, the 67th player taken overall.
The Eagles may have their eyes on another No. 18.
That is edge rusher B.J. Ojulari. It was reported earlier in the week that Ojulari will be one of the 30 pre-draft prospects each team is allowed to have leading up to the start of the NFL Draft on April 27.
"It meant a lot to me, it meant a lot to my legacy and to the state of Louisiana,” Ojulari said during the NFL Scouting Combine about wearing the No. 18 at LSU. “Being able to represent that No. 18 and all the 18s that came before me, it was a great honor for my coaches and peers to elect me and I think it's a testament to my character."
The No. 18 jersey is associated with on-the-field success and is awarded to players who display a “selfless attitude that has become the epitome of being an LSU football player,” according to the LSU media guide.
Ojulari said he spent a lot of time this past season studying Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick, who had 16 sacks in the regular season and was a candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
“Just the way he's been winning on the edge,” said Ojulari about Reddick.
Should the Eagles draft Ojulari he would reside in the same division as his brother, Azeez Ojulari, who was drafted 50th overall in 2021 by the NFC East’s New York Giants.
"He has a great impact on me,” said B.J. “He is like a mentor to me. He is playing for the Giants right now. I lean on him a lot. He's been through the same process. He's at the level where I'm trying to get. Anything I can ask him; I'm trying to ask him.
"We have some similarities, but I don't think we play the same playing style. I'm more of a finesse play style. He's more like a striking, bulldozer and I'm more of a finesser."
Azeez has 13.5 sacks in his two seasons so far in New York.
The two brothers are highly competitive, and B.J. said he is hoping to beat his brother’s draft position of 50 overall.
He has a good chance of doing that.
If the Eagles select Ojulari they would likely have to do so with their second pick in the first round, at No. 30, or early second round should they make a trade with that selection or their other first-round pick at No. 10.
He is ranked as the 35th-best overall prospect by NFL Media Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout for the Eagles.
Here is a portion of Jeremiah’s scouting report on Ojulari:
“(He) is a polished pass rusher with the athleticism to contribute in multiple ways. Against the pass, he has a quick first step and a combination of maneuvers. He wins with a quick-swipe technique, a dip-and-bend move or a nifty hesitation rush. He can really bend and wrap to the quarterback once he clears the offensive tackle.
"He doesn't possess a lot of power, so when he rushes through the numbers of the OT, he often stalls out. He needs to stay on the edges and work half a man. He is fluid in coverage when asked to drop. Against the run, he relies on quickness to swim and work around blocks.”
Jeremiah said Ojulari reminds him of Uchenna Nwosu, the Seattle Seahawks pass rusher who was drafted in by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round in 2018 and had 9.5 sacks last year and owns 24.5 in his five-year career.
Ojulari, who is 6-2, 248, had 16.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss in three seasons at LSU.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI Fan Nation Eagles Today. Please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
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