2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Edge Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Notre Dame
EDGE ADETOKUNBO OGUNDEJI
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 268 lbs.
Class: Graduate Student
School: Notre Dame
A former three-star recruit out of Walled Lake, Michigan, who attended Walled Lake Center High School. Ogundeji was the 17th ranked Michigan prospect in the 2016 class and the 652nd nationally ranked recruit. He initially committed to Western Michigan before taking his talents to South Bend, Indiana.
Recorded 71 tackles, 15 for a loss, 10.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles while representing the Fighting’ Irish. Was a 2020 Honorable Mention for the All-ACC Team and was named a team captain by the Notre Dame coaching staff and players. He showed up on campus weighing 210 pounds with size 18 feet. Ogundeji will be at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Notables
Suffered a season-ending knee injury in high school at the beginning of his senior season.
Traits
A very long athlete who has added about 60 pounds since showing up in South Bend, Indiana. Ogundeji has adequate overall athletic ability with adequate burst/explosiveness, change of direction, and agility--is a bit of a lumberer in space. Displayed solid football intelligence in his senior season but was rawer from a processing standpoint before 2020.
Could use his length a bit more as a pass rusher and incorporate more long arm moves. When he chooses to use his length, it helps him set the tackle up for subsequent pass-rushing moves, which he can, and does, employ. Length could be a weapon as a pass rusher if he refines his overall technique.
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His center of gravity and pad level tends to rise off the snap, and he gets too high. Only an adequate pass rusher who lacks the bend and burst to challenge with speed. Has flashed an impressive push-pull when lined up 5-Technique and inside. He has a hard chop up the arc but lacks the desired bend to maximize the half-man relationship consistently.
He uses length well in the run game to lock at the edge when at 5-Technique, but overall his play strength is only adequate, and his center of gravity works against him when defending the run. He lines up at 3-Technique and 2i and struggles to anchor down when inside and will get blown apart by double teams. He is an adequate run defender as a 4-3 1-gapping system. He has to lower himself, protect his chest more, and get stronger at the point of attack.
Overall, Ogundeji has great size and length but is a developmental project that needs to refine key elements of his game if he is going to impact the next level. He possesses adequate overall athletic traits and is only adequate as a run defender, but his measurables will attract NFL teams.
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