Cowboys 2021 draft prospects: Georgia EDGE Azeez Ojulari scouting report

In a trade-back scenario would the Cowboys consider drafting one of the draft best pass rushers? If so, Georgia’s EDGE Azeez Ojulari should be in the conversation, and could even be considered at 10 if something goes terribly wrong at cornerback.

Name: Azeez Ojulari

School: Georgia

Height: 6-2

Weight: 249

Class: RS Sophomore

Position: EDGE

Jersey: #13

Strengths:

Showed a variety of ways to win at Georgia in his brief stint in Athens (long-arm, cross-chop, stab-chop, ghost, inside-swim, rip). Showed massive strides in his hand work over his final seven games at Georgia, refining his hand placement, striking power, and timing as a pass rusher. Rushes the passer with good athleticism, burst and bend, and his effort is easily noticeable on tape. For a smaller EDGE, he held up well against the run, and has some pop in his hands. Stonewalled some pulling offensive linemen with confidence and has glimpses of playing much larger than his listed weight. Uses his length well as both a run defender and pass rusher. Extremely young, with a very bright future in the NFL.

Weaknesses:

While he made strides in a lot of his questionable areas over the final month or so of the 2020 season, Ojulari’s career at Georgia is filled with inconsistencies in terms of his hand placement, counters, and pass rush plan. When his first move fails, he often gets stuck in the mud both mentally and physically. May need to add mass to his frame if drafted as a 4-3 DE to handle duties as a three-down run defender.

Overall Summary:

Given his age, physical and athletic traits, pass rush ability, and scheme versatility, Azeez Ojulari finished up as my top rated EDGE in the 2021 NFL Draft. Ojulari played with exceptional functional athleticism when rushing the passer, showing impressive knee bend, ankle flexion, and hip fluidity to bend the edge. Showed the ability to win with speed, power, and technique as a pass rusher, and plays much bigger than his listed size would suggest. If Ojulari can continue to develop his counters, pass-rush plan, and hand technique as a run defender, he’ll have a very successful career as a scheme versatile pass rusher with the ability to play all three downs at a high level. If the Cowboys do look to trade back to 13 or 15, and miss out on the top-graded corners, Ojulari would be an excellent candidate to add to the defensive line.

Round Grade:

1

Tape Highlights: