2019 NFL Draft: 10 potential surprise first round picks
Old Dominion edge rusher Oshane Ximines has been a quick riser in the early part of the pre-draft process. Ximines has been mostly overlooked coming from a small school, and while the average fan might not know much about him, he is firmly on the radar of NFL scouts.
Ximines didn’t help himself much at the Senior Bowl with a mostly forgettable week in Mobile, but he still has a shot of being a first round pick if he can put together strong showings at the combine and at his pro-day.
Ximines will be a project; he doesn’t possess many polished pass-rushing moves, but he got by at Old Dominion with a strong speed rush and surprising power given that he was listed at under 250 pounds. He produced at a high level, accumulating 18 tackles-for-loss and 11.5 sacks during his senior season. In Old Dominion’s shocking upset of Virginia Tech, Ximines had seven tackles and two sacks as he consistently looked like the best player on the field.
Ximines weighed in at 241 pounds at the Senior Bowl, but he has the frame to pack on a few more pounds. He’ll need to because at 241 he’s likely relegated to only playing as a 3-4 outside linebacker, which limits his opportunities in the NFL. As an outside linebacker, he’ll also be asked to drop back in coverage at times, something that is completely foreign to him at this stage.
Ximines has the tools to develop into a useful edge rusher in the NFL, and some pundits are more bullish on his prospects than others. Some view Ximines as a first round prospect right now, but he’s likely a day two pick at the moment who has the potential to jump up into first round consideration if he tests well.
Edge rushers are a premium in the NFL, particularly with the current crop of QB talent, and the door is wide open for guys like Ximines to bust into the first round range with the talent dropping off significantly after the first few guys are picked.