Happy Valentine’s Day!
While for many, today is about celebrating a cherished partner, this year it also marks the official transition between the NFL season and draft season.
With the Super Bowl a couple of days into the rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on the upcoming NFL Combine, slated to occur from February 28 to March 6.
In the spirit of the day, here are a few of my draft crushes heading into the cycle.
LSU EDGE BJ Ojulari
The younger brother of Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari, what stands out on BJ’s tape is his bend around the corner. Low man wins, as the saying goes, and Ojulari is able to dip his hips to just above the ground to slip under opposing offensive tackles. Mostly talked about as a second round player because of his slender frame and its iffy translation to NFL run defense, I think Ojulari is worthy of a top 20 pick in this year’s draft.
https://twitter.com/ConnorJRogers/status/1571953817758961667
Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas
You knew this one was coming if you’ve followed anything I’ve done since November. Iosivas holds the NCAA indoor meet record for the 60 meter dash in a heptathlon and has been named an All-American in the track event. Speed isn’t all there is to his game, however, as his film shows a player capable of winning at every level of the field thanks to a 6’3” frame and advanced route running for his level of competition.
https://twitter.com/jacobinfante24/status/1616899980840632320
Wake Forest DT Kobie Turner
At the Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas, media were given short windows to talk to specific players. Most of those interviews ended up being 10 or 15 minutes, maybe 20 if things went really well. But my conversation with Turner ended up being nearly half an hour, ranging from his career path as a walk-on at Richmond to his passion for music to math and nature and everything in between. (That interview will likely be transcribed here soon, by the way.) On the field, Turner is also a block-destroying defensive tackle with pocket-collapsing pass rush capabilities.
https://twitter.com/realcorykinnan/status/1583852814291566595
South Carolina CB Darius Rush
I could’ve picked a number of the cornerbacks from this class as a crush of mine, because the whole group front to back is incredible. But I decided to go with Rush perhaps out of recency bias following his lockdown performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Despite coming into the week as one of the more underrated players on the roster, Rush shut everyone down for all three days of practice and the game on Saturday. It was largely due to incredible recovery speed and a nose for the ball in the air, two things I always love in my cornerbacks.
https://twitter.com/RealD_Jackson/status/1620996679951618048
Illinois S Sydney Brown
Another Senior Bowl standout, Brown makes this list because of his aggressive downhill playstyle. The twin brother of fellow draft prospect and Illini RB Chase Brown, Sydney closes on ball-carriers with a quickness rivaled by few players in the pros. With over 3,000 career snaps and a healthy special teams resume, Brown has the experience to make an immediate impact on an NFL team. He’s also reportedly hit as high as 22.4 MPH on the GPS during Illinois games, and that speed and experience show in the way he plays underneath zones. There’s always room in my heart for a hard-hitting, Energizer bunny-style safety, and Brown is the one that most closely fits the bill this season.
https://twitter.com/BenFennell_NFL/status/1621915523268354049
Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda
There are always a few running backs who declare early despite not having much preseason fanfare. For Abanikanda, a 1,426 yard, 20 TD season was enough to make him a much hotter name by year’s end, ultimately propelling him into the 2023 Draft. While not a huge receiving threat (only 12 catches in 2022), the junior is a patient and powerful runner who always gains what’s blocked for him. In new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense, the Chargers will need a running back to cosplay as Ezekiel Elliott while Austin Ekeler elevates the Tony Pollard role. If they turn to the draft once again to find that back, Abanikanda is one of the best of the group.
