2019 NFL Draft: 10 players trending up after NFL Combine

Texas versatile defensive lineman Charles Omenihu has seen a meteoric rise in his draft stock after somehow flying under the radar before a strong showing at the Senior Bowl. Despite being very productive for a blue-blood program, one that had its best season since 2009 after reaching 10 wins with a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, Omenihu wasn’t receiving much draft buzz.

That changed at the Senior Bowl with Omenihu’s versatility and athleticism being on full display in Mobile. He was unblockable for most of the week and then came up with the play of the game in the third quarter, a strip-sack of Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham that helped seal the game for the North team.

Omenihu is a combo defensive lineman who projects better as a defensive tackle at the next level, although he could play end in a 3-4 scheme. The Texas product measured in at 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds with an impossible 85 and a half inch wingspan and 36-inch arms.

He didn’t blow anyone away with his 40-time or 10-yard splits, but Omenihu’s numbers were respectable enough. He also ranked 5th among defensive linemen with a 36.5 inch vertical jump.

He’s an impressive athlete who has gone from afterthought to one of the draft’s most intriguing players. I think he has clinched a spot in the Top 50 of the draft, and I expect that he will be an early selection on day two. It wouldn’t surprise me, however, if a team late in the first round coveted Omenihu and pulled the trigger on him at the end of the first day.

Teams like the Chiefs, Chargers, Rams, and Patriots all have a need at the position, and his versatility and athleticism make him a strong fit for any defensive system.