The doctors told B.J. Ojulari he should probably sit this one out, but he had no intention of missing his final shot at competing with his LSU teammates.
The Tigers' top prospect in the upcoming draft had tweaked his hamstring early on in his draft prep work. He re-aggravated it two weeks prior to his team's Pro Day, but he still got on the field to strut what he has to offer in front of a host of NFL scouts this week.
“I just wanted to show the scouts that I was here to compete and show them how explosive I was,” Ojulari said.
The versatile defensive end opted to skip a majority of workouts at the NFL Combine due to the injury, and he did skip the 40-yard dash this as well. But he participated in a handful of the measured drills and on-field workouts.
OJULARI'S RESULTS
- 225-pound bench press: 24 reps
- Broad jump: 10'6"
- Vertical jump: 33.5"
- 3-cone drill: 7.44 seconds
In all it was a successful day, with Ojulari continuing his trip through the draft process that has him projected in the range of the late first round or early second round.
“It’s pretty much all the same thing, they love the character, especially being No. 18 as well," he said. "They love my play-making ability, the way I can rush the passer and make plays in the backfield.”
Ojulari was productive in his final season with the Tigers, logging 58 tackles (34 solo), 5.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovery. It capped off a 3-year LSU career that totals 16.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. Fellow pass-rusher Ali Gaye is also expected to be a mid-round selection.
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The biggest question for Ojulari could come down to scheme. He profiles as more as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he feels he could fit in any scheme. After weighing in at 248 pounds at the combine, he bulked up to 252 for his pro day to show scouts he could maintain his agility at that size.
If he can do that, there's a possibility he could land with his in-state team, which tends to err towards bulkier defensive end types. When asked about the linebacker group at the event, Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges listed Ojulari along with the other LBs in attendance in terms of players they were evaluating. Hodges joined several other Saints position coaches, as well as new defensive coordinator Joe Woods, in leading position drills at the event.
“It would definitely be an honor [to play for the Saints]. It would be an honor to play for anybody who drafts me. I feel like they’re getting a very complete player," Ojulari said. "It’d be nice to stay in Louisiana, but it’d be an honor to go anywhere.”
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In the end, the Georgia native intends to focus on two things: Continuing to build his football IQ, and enjoying this draft process. The latter was a bit of advice handed to him by his older brother, Azeez, who was drafted in the 2nd round in 2021 by the New York Giants. The former Georgia Bulldog had a successful draft season, but there was no combine due to COVID restrictions, and the draft process itself was similarly subdued.
"That's basically what he told me. Going into rookie minicamp, just get the speed of the game, adjust," Ojulari said, "and then from there it's just like playing football, the game we've been playing our whole life."