Levi Onwuzurike 2021 NFL Draft Profile

The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Levi Onwuzurike 2021 NFL Draft Profile.

Levi Onwuzurike Background

Position: Defensive Tackle

Size: 6-foot-3, 290 pounds

Class: Redshirt Senior

2019 stats: 45 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks

Onwuzurike is one of the players who opted out of the 2020 season, but did enough on tape to get drafted. His decision to opt out led to him declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Out of high school, Onwuzurike was a solid player in the state of Texas who decided to leave the state to go to Washington. He redshirted his first year on campus. As a redshirt freshman, Onwuzurike played sparingly, but registered 16 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He was able to crack the starting lineup for a few games in 2018 and produced with 34 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Washington won 10 games that season, but lost in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. As a ful-time starter in 2019, Onwuzurike totaled 45 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and two sacks. The Huskies went 8-5 and defeated Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl to cap off the year.

After sitting out the 2020 season, Onwuzurike has had loads of time to prepare for the draft. He is currently projected to be a second to fourth round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Onwuzurike has great quickness for an interior lineman. At the snap of the ball, Onwuzurike gets out of his stance very quickly, which sets him up for success for the rest of the play. His initial quickness turns into speed and he can have an offensive lineman scrambling. He also has solid agility. Offensive linemen can struggle to react to his quickness.

His hand usage is really good. He has stong, powerful hands that pack a lot of power in them. Onwuzurike places his hands well too and he uses them with good timing. His hand fighting, along with his quickness, helps him win against bigger interior linemen.

He has good leverage against offensive linemen. His quickness is so effective because he builds up momentum and stays low. With his pad level low, he maintains his power and becomes a menace to block. His speed is converted to power.

Weaknesses

Onwuzurike is a little bit undersized for an interior defensive lineman in the NFL. He is 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds. He was still able to hold up at the college level, even when Washington did play him out of position. That may change with better lineman at the NFL level.

Because of his lack of size, Onwuzurike doesn’t have the greatest strength. He can be overpowered by bigger offensive linemen. His quickness helps him play on the attack, but he can be stalled. He can add strength in an NFL weight room to add more to his game.

At times, Onwuzurike can lose track of the ball. He maintains good gap integrity, but runners can go right by him, as he tries to shed his blocks. On misdirections and reverses, he can be fooled. He will need to play more disciplined in this regard at the next level.

Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Fourth Round Pick

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