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Where Owamagbe Odighizuwa Should Get Drafted

By Matthew Holowiak

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Aug 30, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Owamagbe Odighizuwa (94) and Bruins linebacker Eric Kendricks (6) line up against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Owamagbe Odighizuwa may have one of the hardest names to ever pronounce at the NFL Draft. He may not be a household name yet. Give it time, he will. That is all depending on where he gets drafted tonight. Yes, I say tonight, and probably early. He is a rare talent at defensive end with great size. At 6’3” and 267 pounds, he is not the typical pass rusher. That is because pass rushing is the weak spot to his game.

He is one of those rare defensive ends who possess great athleticism, yet they have a specialty against the run. Last season alone he had 11.5 tackles for loss. His career as a whole he ends with 24.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks.

So where should Owamagbe Odighizuwa get drafted? Where does a defensive end with rush defense skills fit in today’s NFL? Normally it’s the other way around these days. We get a pass rusher and try teaching how to defend the run. So we have an incredibly gifted defensive end, who is a walking bulk of muscle, strong against the run. Sound familiar to anyone?

Doesn’t this sound a little like Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants? Yes, we know he is one of the best pass rushers in the league. But you may not know that he is also one of the best at his position against the run. So why not have the Giants draft another player just like him on the other side of the defensive line?

In theory, this makes all the sense in the world. Most reports call for the Giants needing to get a defensive tackle to help against the run, and others call for needing another pass rusher. Well, let’s kill two birds with one stone and take Owamagbe Odighizuwa in the second round! Fits a value and need, and he could be the final piece to bringing back Steve Spagnuolo’s famous Nascar package. For those who don’t know what that is, look up Super Bowl 42.

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