Browns Prospect Profile: Larry Ogunjobi
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Pick: Round 3, Pick 65
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: UNC-Charlotte
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 305 lbs.
Ogunjobi does not necessarily have the background story of your typical third round pick. He was born to Nigerian immigrants and did not pick up football until his sophomore year of high school at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, North Carolina.
After impressing in his relatively short time playing the sport, he carried on his playing career to nearby UNC-Charlotte, playing in the program’s inaugural season as a freshman. It was at Charlotte that Ogunjobi made his presence known as a powerful defensive tackle, earning All-Conference honors twice in his four years there.
Ogunjobi’s best season came in 2016 when he racked up 65 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
The 22-year-old has relatively average size as far as NFL defensive tackles go, but where he makes up for that is with his quickness off the snap and elusiveness when pounding gaps.
“Ogunjobi uses leverage, quickness, and strong hands to counter his average size,” wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “[Teams] who covet disruptive defensive tackles who can play in the backfield and generate some pressure will be studying him closely.”
Zierlein compares Ogunjobi to New Orleans Saint Sheldon Rankins, a 6’2″ 305-pound defensive tackle that held his own in his rookie year this past season. Rankins’s rookie season, which entailed 20 total tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble, would be a reasonable expectation for Ogunjobi, assuming he receives sufficient playing time.
While his film is impressive and his body is sufficient for the NFL stage, one gray area about Ogunjobi is his ability to play against elite competition. He picked up the sport much later than other players in the draft and did not record much experience against quality opponents in college.
Charlotte was not a member of the FBS until 2015 when Ogunjobi was already in his junior year. With the school sporting such a new program, he was able to get a hefty amount of experience, 46 starts in his career, but was not able to face many worthy opponents. The 49ers faced power-five conference teams just twice in Ogunjobi’s time with the team.
Despite his lack of experience against top talent, scouts still believe that the former 49er has the make of an NFL starter.
As the Browns switch to a 4-3 style of defense under new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, there is a good chance that Ogunjobi could compete for a starting spot at some point in the season. The Browns’ depth at defensive tackle behind Danny Shelton is not extensive, so the chance is there for the rookie to potentially snag a starting spot once he gets acclimated to the NFL scene.
Image: ESPN
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