Why Did Azeez Ojulari Fall Out of Round 1?

Former Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari was expected to be a first-round pick, so why did he fall to at least Day 2 of the NFL Draft?

Brooks Austin | Apr 30, 2021

Heading into Thursday night's first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the expectation was that former Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari would be selected somewhere in the first round.

However, as the clock struck zero at the end of the first round, Ojulari's name had yet to be called. So, what caused the fall to be available on the second day of the draft? Here are some possible answers:

Medical

Ojulari tore his ACL in high school, which caused him to redshirt his freshman season in Athens, only to be followed up by two consecutive seasons in which he played every game. Additionally, he won Georgia's weight-room award in the offseason leading up to his redshirt freshman season. So, by all accounts, he was a more than healthy football player.

However, some concerns popped up just before the draft that the medical information NFL teams received in Indianapolis might have raised a few red flags.

Ojulari did visit Dr. James Andrews, a well-respected surgeon in the athletic community, and Andrews sent a letter to all 32 teams assuring them that Ojulari's knee was strong and there were no concerns. That was in January, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

Source says Dr. James Andrews examined Ojulari’s knee in January and sent a letter to teams saying it was strong and there were no problems with it. Obviously teams did their own exams in Indy, so that could explain his slide. But some team could get a steal on Day 2.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) April 30, 2021

However, a week or so before the draft, a select group of players traveled to Indianapolis for medical checks. That's where Ojulari was red-flagged because of a degenerative lower leg condition according to Pro Football Network's Tony Pauline. Doctors were concerned the previous injury would lead to progressive, often irreversible deterioration, and loss of function in the ligaments.

Frame

If the the medical concerns weren't the issue, then it would have to be that his physical frame was what NFL teams were not willing to invest first-round capital. At just under 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Ojulari isn't the prototype for an NFL edge defender. Look at the profiles of the edge defenders taken ahead of him in the first round:

Jaelen Phillips: 6-5, 266
Kwity Paye: 6-4, 271
Payton Turner: 6-6, 269
Gregory Rousseau: 6-7, 265
Jayson Oweh: 6-5, 257
Joe Tyron: 6-5, 262

That's an average of 6-5.5 and 265 pounds.

So, it's either Ojulari doesn't have either a first-round caliber medical evaluation or frame, or it's a combination of both. He certainly has first-round caliber tape and production in the SEC over the last two seasons.

Why Did Azeez Ojulari Fall Out of Round 1?

Brooks Austin | Apr 30, 2021

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