Eagles Hosting Edge Rusher Whose Draft Stock Is "Exploding"

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to investigate potential draft help in the trenches.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA defensive lineman Oluwafemi Oladejo (DL58) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

He’s a newcomer to the edge, which probably gives Oluwafemi Oladejo a high upside. NFL teams like players with high upsides, including the Eagles, who will meet with Oladejo in the pre-draft process, per The Draft Network’s Chris Melo.

Oladejo, who goes by the first name Femi, is 6-3, 260 pounds. He only made the switch from linebacker to edge rusher after two games this past season at UCLA, but he has excelled during the pre-draft process, from the Senior Bowl to the NFL Scouting Combine,

“Teams are telling me that they are highly intrigued by me,” he told Melo. “They’ve told me that my pre-draft stock exploded throughout this process. They see something special in me.”

Had Oladejo remained at linebacker the interest may not have been as great. It was a crowded position at UCLA and featured Carson Schwesinger, who became a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus award and a linebacker who will likely get selected on Day 2 of the draft.

Where Oladejo could go is anybody’s guess. It could depend on how he does on his several top-30 visits. He could find his way into the first round if he aces those. Even if he aces the interviews, he could still go on Day 2 like Schwesinger.

After Oladejo moved from linebacker to edge, he collected 4.5 sacks, but his experience as a linebacker shows he can be a versatile piece in any defense, and maybe that of Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

“I think for me as a Mike (linebacker) and a green dot guy, that’s a lot of responsibility,” he said during the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis at the end of February. “I’ve got to get the calls, make sure my guys know what they’re doing. Now when I go to edge, I don’t gotta think. I hear the call, and I can go. I think my body’s built for that.

“I’m naturally 6-3, 260. I have strong legs. I can hit and run.  I think that’s one of the more natural things for me to transition to, playing the run. Just due to my length and I’m a strong guy.”

Oladejo’s parents and two siblings were born in Nigeria, but he was born in the U.S. He visited his family’s country three times, and he said his family in Nigeria thinks American football is “crazy…they see the helmets and they don’t understand it.”

His full name is Oluwafemi Moses Oladejo, which, he said, translates to “God loves me.”

“I grew up in a religious household,” he said. “Once I got to college, I made the decision to really deepen it in myself. It just keeps me grounded, keeps me stable.”

This is what NFL Meida draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote on Oladejo: “Linebacker-turned-edge-rusher whose draft profile might have gone from dull to dynamic with the switch. Oladejo is long and aggressive in attacking blockers in front of him. A lack of instincts in the run game and plans as a pass rusher could be temporary bumps in the road that should be smoothed with coaching.

“He greets and discards blockers with powerful, twitchy hands and still plays with a linebacker’s range and nose for the football despite his new position. He catches the “developmental” tag relative to his edge experience, but his traits and tape suggest he will make a difference sooner than expected.”

Oladejo is the second reported top-30 edge rusher to visit or plannnig to visit the Eagles, joining Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku.

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