2020 NFL Draft: Michigan OG Michael Onwenu scouting report

Michael Onwenu is a later-round 2020 NFL draft prospect to keep an eye on.

The interior offensive line appears to be a weak spot in the 2020 NFL Draft class. Unless one of the offensive tackles kicks inside at the next level, there simply is not an interior offensive lineman worthy of going in the first round this year.

Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz had plenty of buzz early in the 2020 NFL Draft cycle, but he seemed to have lost some play strength in his final college season and is now likely a Day 2 pick. Washington center Nick Harris has also been talked about as a first-round prospect, but he did not play well at the Senior Bowl, consistently getting manhandled by bigger and stronger interior defensive linemen.

Simply put, if you need an interior offensive lineman in the 2020 NFL Draft, you are better off waiting until Day 3 and taking a shot a player or two with some upside. Michigan offensive guard Michael Onwenu stands out as a late-round prospect to keep an eye on throughout the draft process.

Height: 6023
Weight: 362 pounds
Arm Length: 34.5 inches
Hand Size: 10.875 inches

Measurables come via the 2020 Shrine Game.

Onwenu is a massive man whose sheer size and power immediately stand out on tape. He has a thick, stout frame with long arms and big hands an interior offensive lineman.

While it is his size and power that stands out, Onwenu moves well for such a big offensive lineman. He shows solid overall mobility, moving well laterally to take care of reach blocks and even showing some ability when asked to pull.

While he moves better than you would expect, Onwenu is going to make his money on his power. He is basically immovable up front and has a wide base that makes him extremely difficult to get around. Onwenu is also incredibly powerful at the point of attack, using his powerful lower body and strong hands to clear out lanes in the run game. He also understands leverage well, consistently showing good pad level.

In pass protection, Onwenu uses his length well and anchors at an extremely high level. Speed on the inside can give him problems at times, but his wide base makes him a difficult player to go around no matter the situation.

While Onwenu is quick for his size, that does not mean that there aren’t any mobility concerns here. He is a massive man. Guys like this only move so fast. In particular, Onwenu struggles at times when attacking the second level.

He seems to get to the linebackers in time but will struggle against quicker linebackers and safeties. He simply cannot change directions well enough to consistently get these guys in his grasp. This will be a concern with the NFL opting for more speed at the linebacker position than ever before.

I like Onwenu as a 2020 NFL draft prospect, but I think he would benefit from trimming down a bit. If he can get in the 330-pound range, his feet would be quicker and give him a better chance to compete at the second-level without losing too much power.

Onwenu is a tough eval because it is easy to see his upside as both a run blocker and pass protector. However, as he stands now, he may be unplayable in the modern NFL due to his inability to sustain blocks at the second level.

If I were running an NFL team, I would undoubtedly be targeting Onwenu late in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he has to understand that we will expect him to trim down his weight a bit. If he can bring his weight down 30 pounds or so, Onwenu would be a fantastic value selection for any Gap scheme team.