Scouting Michigan Football’s David Ojabo ahead of 2022 NFL draft

Michigan football’s David Ojabo could be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft and here’s the scouting report on the edge rusher. 

From being an unknown player on Michigan football’s roster for two years to being one of the best players in the country in Year 3, David Ojabo is the epitome of hard work reaps success, and that’s exactly what David did in his time at Michigan.

Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles during Michigan’s Pro Day back in March so he will probably miss his rookie season in the NFL, but he has all of the tools to be a dominant pass rusher in the league. The question is: Will he make that jump?

Profile

Position: edge rusher/hybrid linebacker

School: Michigan

Current Year: Redshirt sophomore (declared for 2022 NFL draft)

Height: 6’4

Weight: 250 pounds

Positives

• When David drives out of blocks and attacks with speed, he is highly successful and consistent
• Has the ability to flatten himself at the top of the arc which allows him to get more flexible and confuse opposing tackles
• Raw movement makes him hard to predict which allows him to drive into resistance and carry speed and force effectively
• Has a speed rush, an inside spin move, and a rip to counter opposing lineman
• Great body control to maximize length and extend to the tackle
• Knows how to use his frame to sustain the force and play through recovery contact from opposing offensive lineman
• Has great reach which goes hand-in-hand with his great length which allows him to flash his hands and leverage hand placement from opposing lineman
• Has  great awareness to bat down passes and swipe at the football to cause fumbles
• Knows how to take advantage of an overset or flip hips to get linear to stop the run
• Can run down opposing running backs or wide receivers from over 10 yards away, as he has really good closing speed
• Potential to play to the line or boundary, as more of a sideline-to-sideline linebacker in due time

Negatives

• Sometimes has a false step out of blocks, which can cause him to lose ground in pass rush
• Isn’t always the fastest at reacting to plays
• In read and react situations, Ojabo seems more prone to catching blocks and can get moved off his spot
• Needs to tighten the strike zone to help him win reps more easily
• Is only mainly a slasher when stopping the run by using speed to get to the running back, but David needs to figure out other ways to get to the running back and stop the run
• Needs to keep developing hand placement, timing, and extension skills to protect himself from being contained off the snap
• Lulls in play on film that is probably due to uncertainty on how to navigate certain situations
• Can concede space and sometimes gets pad level too high, therefore immediately losing leverage
• Football IQ needs to keep being developed (he is still so new to the game of football, only starting it in junior year of high school)
• Is hit or miss in getting off blocks at the point of attack
• Quickness when transitioning from counter move to counter move isn’t always quick enough and can get stonewalled if that happens

Overview

Overall, David Ojabo is obviously very raw. He won’t be ready to contribute that much, if at all, in Year 1 because of his Achilles injury and because he is a work in progress from a development perspective. He does have the start of all the tools to be an elite pass rusher in the NFL though.

In terms of ceiling, a lot of people have said that Ojabo potentially has a higher ceiling than his former teammate Aidan Hutchinson, which I can certainly believe, as David almost had the same amount of sacks as Aidan in one year, after not seeing the field for his first two years in college prior.

He does have a lot of things to work on once he does come back from injury obviously, as he needs more pass rush moves, he needs to get more decisive and react quicker in certain pass plays, he needs to set the edge better in run defense, and his pad level gets way too high at times, causing him to lose leverage to opposing lineman.

With all that being said, I still expect him to be a late first-round to early second-round pick on Thursday. There have been rumors that his stock might not drop as much as people think with his Achilles tear, so that bodes well for him. He might still end up being a first-round pick.

Even if he isn’t, I can’t see him slipping past the second round, so it wouldn’t be too much longer for him to wait.

The future is bright for David Ojabo and he is the most interesting Michigan prospect in the NFL Draft. Right now, I can’t really say what his NFL career will look like, but I wish all the success for him in the NFL, as, knowing his personality and attitude towards getting better and better, he definitely has a chance to be dominant. Go Blue!