NFL Draft Preview 2022: UCLA Football Defensive Lineman Otito Ogbonnia

Boasting long arms and top-notch upper-body strength, the Bruins' reliable defensive lineman will have multiple suitors in the back half of the draft.

The NFL Draft is taking place in Las Vegas this weekend, and a handful of Bruins are set to hear their names called.

While there aren't any projected first round picks coming out of UCLA football this year, there are 14 players waiting in the pool. The Bruins have had six players picked in the past three NFL Drafts combined, and they could have that many fly off the board in 2022 alone.

All Bruins is breaking down scouting reports, stats and predictions for the biggest names who could go the highest, with defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia next on the slate.

April 25 – TE Greg Dulcich
April 26 – OL Sean Rhyan
April 27 – WR Kyle Philips

Stats

2018: 12 GP, 21 tackles, 1 pass defended

2019: 12 GP, 12 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended

2020: 7 GP, 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defended

2021: 12 GP, 30 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended

Measurements

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 324 pounds

Arms: 34 3/8 inches

Hands: 10 inches

40-Yard Dash: 5.31 seconds (1.85-second 10-yard split)

Bench Press: 29

Vertical Jump: N/A

Broad Jump: N/A

3-Cone Drill: N/A

20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

What The Experts Are Saying

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "Overall, Ogbonnia moves heavy and he is still raw as a two-gapper and pass rusher, but his package of traits (size, length, heavy hands) are a nice starter kit for a developmental nose tackle."

Lance Zierlien, NFL.com: "Interior lineman who plays with heavy hands to pop and separate for an early advantage, but heavy feet that prevent him from doing enough with it. He can handle some of the heavy lifting, but not all. Ogbonnia will flash as a one-technique or tilted nose but lacks the pad level and parking brake to hold it down as a 3-4 nose. He has very average quickness and does not profile as a mismatch defender. He is not an NFL pass-rush threat. He had splashy moments at the Senior Bowl and has a shot as a backup 4-3 nose but could offer some position flexibility for teams running varied fronts."

Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network: "There are enough tools to bank on Ogbonnia as a developmental nose tackle on Day 3. But before he can be counted on as an early-down starter, he needs to find more consistency with his balance, pad level, and hand placement."

Derrik Klassen, Bleacher Report: "Ogbonnia will need time and proper coaching to unlock his potential. The flashes of strength and explosiveness are there, but he needs to get better at identifying blocking schemes, as well as improve how consistently he can settle into his anchor. Ogbonnia is a backup or rotational nose guard until he can find more consistency."

Sports Illustrated: "Average sized defensive tackle with good length and little explosiveness. Ogbonnia can stack blocks and is a quick processor, displaying high football intelligence. His pad level is consistently high and he is a limited pass rusher. Ogbonnia projects as a camp player who has too many holes to stick on a practice squad with his current skill set."

Rankings

The Athletic: DL 12

Sports Illustrated: NT 5, No. 192 overall

CBS Sports: DL 21, No. 197 overall

Sporting News: DL 16

Bleacher Report: DL 20, No. 199 overall

Prediction

Ogbonnia, despite his well-documented history as a dominant power lifter and shot put star, does not seem to have a wildly high ceiling as an NFL prospect. He also doesn't boast the positionless dynamism of his former teammate Osa Odighizuwa, who went in the third round to the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.

That being said, Ogbonnia's physical traits and overall consistency make him an attractive option for teams looking to build out interior defensive line depth in the back half of the draft. He isn't exactly a flier pick, but more so a late-round safety selection who can stay healthy and fill in early if needed.

Teams that need help all over the field – such as the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints or Carolina Panthers – may end up taking offense early due to their recent coaching hires and the systems they bring to the table. When those later rounds come around and the defensive depth is still unaddressed, the scouts will surely point to Ogbonnia as a reliable selection to make, considering he didn't miss a single game in his four years at UCLA.

Ogbonnia did play through an injury for much of last fall, leading to him opting out of the Holiday Bowl before it was ultimately canceled. A hamstring injury he suffered at the NFL Scouting Combine also may have hurt his ability to rise up draft boards, but he was back to participating a few weeks later at the Bruins’ pro day.

The Saints stand out as a solid fit, mostly because they have two good defensive ends in Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport who can make up for Ogbonnia's lack of pass-rushing ability when he subs in. Both Super Bowl finalists – the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals – could look Ogbonnia's way as well, which would put him in a position to play under a spotlight right off the bat.

Chances are, though, Ogbonnia is looked at as a solid piece in a rebuilding defensive front, and New Orleans could end up providing the Bruin the perfect opportunity moving forward.

Otito Ogbonnia: New Orleans Saints, No. 161 overall (Round 5)

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