NFL Draft 2018: Can Oklahoma’s Ogbonnia Okoronkwo sneak into early rounds?

Oklahoma’s Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft, but where could he land in April?

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo was an absolute force from his hybrid DE/LB position for the past two seasons for Oklahoma.

In a league dominated by high-powered offenses, Okoronkwo terrorized opposing offenses accumulating 162 total tackles, and saved his worst for quarterbacks, racking up 20 sacks in his career in the crimson and cream. His style of play is reminiscent of former Buffalo Bulls linebacker and current Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack.

With his statistics and his style of play, how much of a factor will that play in his draft stock come late April?

Strengths

He may be smaller than a typical 3-4 DE/LB, standing only 6-foot-1 and 242 pounds, but he is built like a fire hydrant. He has a non-stop motor, which is a trait that any coach at any level of football loves. His first punch in pass rush is very powerful and is very quick with his finesse moves. Okoronkwo has all the potential to be a dangerous pass rusher in the NFL.

Weaknesses

As previously stated, he is not very tall for a 3-4 hybrid DE/LB, which hurts him in pass coverage as his arms are shorter than what most 3-4 defenses require. Okoronkwo is also not very fundamentally sound in the run defense as he is a byproduct of a pass-happy Big 12. He occasionally gets to high on his pass rush which opens himself up to more experienced offensive tackles.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round post-NFL Combine

Draft Expectation

As of right now, Okoronkwo is a very one-dimensional player as his impact is mostly in pass rush. This is a big reason why he could be a defensive end at the pro level. He is not nearly as polished as the other defensive ends in this draft which will cause his stock to slip, but will still be a solid Day 3 pick.

Prediction: Fourth or fifth round selection