(2023) BJ Ojulari-EDGE-LSU

BJ Ojulari

EDGE

6’3, 250

Junior

Strengths	Weaknesses
Good Athleticism Fluid and Agile, Good Lateral Movement Bendiness Some Power Ability Leadership/Character	Poor Run Defense Pushed Outside too Often Overpowered by Stronger Linemen Too Hesitant at times

2022 Statistics (Per PFF)

*(Ranking is out of the 241 EDGE/LB with 200+ pass rush snaps this season)

2022 Statistic	Total	Ranking *	Rank Percentile
Pressures	49	T-15th	Top 6%
Sacks	9	T-16th	Top 7%
Hurries	26	T-39th	Top 16%
Pass Rush Win Rate	18.0%	T-40th	Top 17%
QB Hits	14	T-4th	Top 2%
Tackles	35	N/A	N/A
Missed Tackle %	15.4%	N/A	N/A

Write-Up:

BJ Ojulari is a junior edge rusher who played all 3 seasons at LSU, 2 of them as a full-time starter. He did miss 1 game this season with a knee injury. He largely lined up as a 5-tech edge rusher, but also played some outside linebacker and dropped into coverage, where he was fairly solid.

Starting with the good, Ojulari is a really good, pure athlete. He has really good speed and agility to pair with a solid frame. He has really nice burst off the line of scrimmage, and can really be a problem if he is able to turn the corner. Another nice trait is his lateral movement, which is very fluid and sudden. One of his favorite pass rush moves is a juke move that really demonstrates this very well. Ojulari has some bendiness to his rushing attack, which again makes him very dangerous in turning the corner and going around blockers. He also has some power ability to his game, though it definitely is not his main way to win reps. If he can get first contact on a blocker, Ojulari does have enough power and effort to knock blockers backwards.

There is a lot for Ojulari to improve upon though if he is to be successful at the next level. He can be pushed off balance by stronger opposing blockers quite often and really can struggle to push off once he is in the grasp of a tackle or guard. This extends to the run game, where Ojulari can struggle to shed blocks and fight his way to the runner. This can make him a liability at times in run defense, other than when he is told to hold contain. When rushing, Ojulari tends to rush to the outside, making him fairly predictable. He could very much benefit from a more diverse pass rush moveset.

In total, BJ Ojulari has all the athleticism and character an NFL team could want in an edge rusher. However, his run defense and pass rush plans do leave a lot to be desired as well. There is absolutely a lot to like about Ojulari, but he does have some development left to go in order to become an every-down player.

Draft Projection:  Round 2