Saturday, May 1, 2021

DT Levi Onwuzurike Rankings

Overall (Average Ranking - 40.00):



CBS (28. DT Levi Onwuzurike - Draft Scouting Report:  Rating: 88.62.  Best Trait: First step quickness.  Strengths: Size, Pad level.  Weaknesses: Frame, Needs to develop his pass-rush repertoire):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospect-rankings/

NFL.com Daniel Jeremiah (29.  DT Levi Onwuzurike:  Onwuzurike is a slightly undersized defensive tackle who was highly destructive in every Washington game I studied. The Huskies moved him around in their scheme, but I believe he's best suited as a 3-technique, on the edge of the guard. He has an explosive first step and very quick hands against the pass. He flashes a twitchy slap/swim move, but there are times when he doesn't have a plan and gets stuck. He can drive interior blockers right back to the quarterback when he comes off the ball with his pads low to the ground. Against the run, he plays much bigger than his size. He can stack single opponents with one arm and refuses to stay blocked. He has lateral range and his effort is phenomenal. Overall, Onwuzurike's pass rush production isn't special, but all of the tools are there to improve the results at the next level.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah-s-top-150-prospects-in-the-2021-nfl-draft-class

NFL.com Gil Brandt (31. DT Levi Onwuzurike:  Sewell is the closest thing to Hall of Famer The Dallas product is very strong and athletic -- an exceptional run-stuffer.):   https://www.nfl.com/news/gil-brandt-s-hot-100-2-0-top-prospects-in-2021-nfl-draft-class


Foxsports Joel Klatt (34. Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington, 6-3, 290):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/final-big-board-for-2021-nfl-draft-joel-klatts-top-50



Athlonsports (38. DT Levi Onwuzurike):  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2021-nfl-draft-top-100-prospects

Foxsports Rob Rang (Blue Chips - 38. DT Levi Onwuzurike:  Long-armed and cat-quick off the snap, Onwuzurike is a classic penetrating under-tackle for 4-3 defenses.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-draft-big-board-rob-rang-trevor-lawrence-kyle-pitts-penei-sewell


Sporting News (41. Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington (6-3, 290 pounds):  Onwuzurike is extremely active and athletic inside for a man of his size. He combines that with toughness and technique required to finish plays.):  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-draft-prospects-2021-player-ranking-big-board/1k5tiozjs62rl1k1weni83rroi

ESPN Jeff Legwold (41. Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington, 6-2⅞, 290 (4.89) (Drafted No. 41 by the Detroit Lions):  Onwuzurike opted out this past season, and while he flashed his ability, he didn't perform as well at the Senior Bowl. It comes down to that performance vs. plenty of moments in game video where his strength and explosiveness are easy to see.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2021/story/_/id/31263894/2021-nfl-draft-jeff-legwold-ranks-top-100-prospects


ESPN BPA (42. DT Levi Onwuzurike):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable

Draftwire Top 300 (43. Levi Onwuzurike | DL | Washington):  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/lists/2021-nfl-draft-rankings-big-board-top-300-prospects/

Walter football (44. Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington.Previously: 44 Avg. 44 per 13):  https://walterfootball.com/nfldraftbigboard

Tankathon (47. DT Levi Onwuzurike):  http://www.tankathon.com/nfl/big_board

USA Today Middlehurst-Schwartz Top 50 (48. Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington:  Able to get into the backfield in a hurry, Onwuzurike is an attacking force on the interior. Establishing more discipline in his rushes is an essential step for him to become a viable every-down starter.):  https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/sports/nfl/draft/2021/04/26/nfl-draft-2021-ranking-top-prospects-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields/7373739002/

PFF Big Board (48. DT Levi Onwuzurike:  We never got to see what the next step could be from Onwuzurike after earning an impressive 82.5 overall grade in his lone year as a starter in 2019. A 2020 opt-out, Onwuzurike still looked inconsistent in the week of practices at the Senior Bowl. He’s a three-technique at the next level with one of the best first steps in the class.):  https://www.pff.com/draft/big-board?season=2021

Touchdown Top 50 (49. Levi Onwuzurike, IDL, Washington (Height: 6’3″ (39th) Weight: 290 (28th).  Arm Length: 33 inches (45th).  40-Yard Dash:4.85 seconds (86th).  Bench Press: 29 reps (73rd).  Vertical Jump: 30 inches (53rd).  Broad Jump: 109 inches (60th).):  Bio: As a junior at Allen High School in Allen, Texas, Onwuzurike was part of a team that won the state championship with Kyler Murray at quarterback. As a senior, Onwuzurike was listed as the Dallas area’s Defensive Player of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. He chose Washington over several other major programs, including Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona State. He opted out of the 2020 season, but in three years with the Huskies, Onwuzurike totaled 47 solo tackles, 48 assists, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 63 total pressures, and 70 stops… often at an extreme schematic disadvantage.  Stat to Know: Onwuzurike had 1,070 total snaps with the Huskies, and 386 of those snaps (36.1%) were spent in a nose tackle alignment. That is… an interesting deployment rate.  Strengths: Sideline-to-sideline agility shows up right away; Onwuzurike has the recovery speed and get-off to catch up to running backs in space, and could be an asset in short coverage. Heavy hands will push blockers back and force them to recover quickly. Onwuzurike will put a sharp charge into the chest of his blocker and shed to the inside, and that’s his signature move. Brings a ferocious and constant forward momentum to the quarterback. Can split double teams with a quick arm-over move. Strong enough to work past initial blocks to his chest. Excels when playing three-tech or head over the guard, and flashes pass-rush ability at the edge.  Weaknesses: Onwuzurike could stand to be more diverse with his hands; he gets stopped up by double teams too often, and if his taser move doesn’t work, he can be stuck. Will need to add lower-body strength if he’s to be a pure tackle as opposed to a multi-position player.  Conclusion: Sometimes, you just wonder how and why coaches choose to deploy their players. Watching Houston’s Ed Oliver line up at nose tackle on 64.2% of his snaps in his final collegiate season at 6-foot-2 and 287 pounds was a unique exercise in frustration, and I had similar feelings watching Onwuzurike try and bash his way through as a nose in Washington’s defense. Onwuzurike’s NFL team would be wise to make him a move defender at the same time it works to add strength and technique to his palette.  NFL Comparison: Darnell Dockett. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, Dockett became a multi-gap force for the Cardinals from 2004 through 2013, playing all over the line without a defined position. Dockett brought heavy hands, impressive quickness, and an outstanding competitive demeanor to the field, and I see that same potential in Onwuzurike.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2021-nfl-draft-big-board-kyle-shanahan-trey-lance-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-kyle-pitts/


Positional (Average Ranking - 2.67):


Bucky Brooks (1. DT Levi Onwuzurike:  A paucity of dominant interior defenders could prompt teams to overvalue flashers at the position during the evaluation process. Onwuzurike plays defensive tackle like Mr. Myagi, utilizing his extraordinary hand-to-hand combat skills to whip blockers at the point of attack. He combines his great hands with explosive athleticism and a non-stop motor to win against top competition.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/bucky-brooks-top-five-2021-nfl-draft-prospects-by-position-3-0


ESPN CB (2. DT Levi Onwuzurike):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable

NBC Sports Edge Final Position Rankings (2. DT Levi Onwuzurike):  https://www.nbcsports.com/edge/article/rankings/thors-2021-nfl-draft-position-rankings

Top 9 defensive tackles in the 2021 NFL Draft (2. Levi Onwuzurike, Washington:  A Senior Bowl riser, Levi Onwuzurike is a bit polarizing. He’s the only other defensive tackle raised in that top conversation, but many analysts aren’t exactly gushing about his potential. That might just be a reflection of the overall perception of the top of this 2021 interior defensive linemen class, however. Onwuzurike is ranked amongst the top 50 players for each PFN analyst.  In his profile, PFN Draft Analyst Ian Cummings described Onwuzrike as such: “Levi Onwuzurike is an exciting talent on the defensive line” with “room for further polish.” Cummings cited Onwuzurike’s explosiveness, length, and overall athletic traits and described them as “devastating.” However, Onwuzurike’s tools needed to be ironed out and demonstrated on a more consistent basis.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/top-9-interior-defensive-linemen-2021-nfl-draft/

Walter football DT (2. DT Levi Onwuzurike:  4/26/21: Onwuzurike decided to sit out the 2020 season, but participated at the Senior Bowl, where he had a respectable showing. Onwuzurike has a nice first-step and is dangerous to fire his gap to get upfield. Consistently, Onwuzurike causes disruption in the backfield. However, he struggles to finish rushes and gets tied up by offensive linemen, which is why he did not produce a lot of sacks in college and is more of a disruptor than a producer for the NFL. Onwuzurike is a solid run defender. Team sources feel he is a good, but not dominant player.  9/5/20: Onwuzurike notched 45 tackles with two sacks in 2019. He was a solid defender for the Huskies, but he needs to improve his pass-rush abilities. In 2018, Onwuzurike had 34 tackles with 6.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks as one of Washington's primary replacements for Vita Vea. In 2017, Onwuzurike recodrd 16 tackles with two sacks. Onwuzurike has upside to improve, plus he received good coaching from Jimmy Lake.):  https://walterfootball.com/draft2021DT.php




Tankathon DT (3. DT Levi Onwuzurike):  http://www.tankathon.com/nfl/big_board

PFF DT (4. LEVI ONWUZURIKE, WASHINGTON (PFF BIG BOARD RANK: 78):  We never got to see what the next step could be from Onwuzurike after earning an impressive 82.5 overall grade in his lone year as a starter in 2019. A 2020 opt-out, Onwuzurike still looked inconsistent in the week of practices at the Senior Bowl. He’s a three-technique at the next level with one of the best first steps in the class.):  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-draft-interior-defensive-line-rankings



USA Today DT (7. Levi Onwuzurike, Washington - Pros: Has a quality athletic profile with a wide frame that should be able to handle more muscle mass. A disruptive interior pass rusher who can make himself thin and slippery along the inside gaps. Shows fast and twitchy hands when engaged with the blocker. Has explosive closing burst when he gets near the ball.  Cons: Plays too high off the ball and struggles to maintain lockout positioning. Doesn’t play to his physical gifts often enough. Gets ridden out of plays.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2021/04/27/2021-nfl-draft-dt-rankings-top-defensive-tackle-prospects/7379479002/
Posted by LionsFan at 8:00 AM

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