Throughout the years the Senior Bowl has done an excellent job of finding small school talents and getting them to Mobile to help their draft stock. This year, Oshane Ximinies is one of the best small schoolers here participating.
Oshane Ximines is a redshirt senior out of Old Dominion, a small school in Norfolk, Virginia. In his four years at ODU, Ximines recorded 32.5 sacks, 51 tackles for loss, 176 total tackles, 11 forced fumbles, and 12 passes defended. Ximines’ production at ODU improved in every year, and so did his level of play on the field.
The 6’3 1/2”, 241-lb defensive end is a pass rush technician due to his hand placement, variety of pass rush moves, and ability to use the length (33 3/8” arms) he has to the best of his abilities. Though he is undersized, Ximines plays much larger than his listed numbers would suggest. While he’s both on the shorter and lighter side, the former ODU rusher has mass and power where it matters most.
At the point of attack, Ximines plays with great hand placement, arm strength, and leverage to hold off offensive lineman and free himself tot get to the ball carrier in the run game. When rushing the passer, he has less than ideal bend and flexibility in his lower half, so he relies on his relentlessness and technique to win on the edge. Ximines consistently mirrors offensive lineman’s hand placement which allows him to keep lineman from getting inside hand placement and control him at the point of attack. Along with his elite hand work, he has a wide variety of pass rush moves that allows him to get home even with his lack of true athleticism and burst. At ODU, he showed swims, cross-chops, push-pull, and two-hand swipes to clear offensive linemen’s hands away from his chest plate.
Nice shoulder dip + footwork turning the corner by Oshane Ximines. Solid hands pic.twitter.com/pbyo4A2aJm
— Ty Wurth (@WurthDraft) January 22, 2019
Where Oshane Ximines limitations come in are in the athletic ability areas of his game. He lacks ideal bend, speed, and flexibility in his hips and legs. One of my favroite things about Ximines is while not being blessed with elite size, athletic traits, or flexibility, the guy still knows how to get home. The EDGE position in Dallas is far from a glaring need, but adding a guy that can (hopefully) complement DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory off the edge would certainly help take this defense to the next level.
Blogging The Boys was able to speak with Oshane after day one of Senior Bowl practices to see how the day went, and what he would like to improve on as the week progresses. Check out the official interview with Old Dominion EDGE Oshane Ximines.