The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
A team can never have enough talented pass rushers and the Green Bay Packers are in dire need of more playmakers off the edge.
With Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare the Packers have a solid trio on paper. Gary will likely miss the beginning of the upcoming season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Smith will be 31 in November and could be playing in his final season in Green Bay. Enagbare proved to be a solid rotational piece.
Add it all up and the Packers need to add an edge rusher or two this offseason. Luckily for the Packers, the 2023 NFL Draft is loaded with talented edge rushers.
A player that Brian Gutekunst could target on day two of the upcoming draft is Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The Kansas State edge rusher checks in at No. 67 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
During the 2021 season, Anudike-Uzomah recorded 50 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles.
This past season the Kansas State edge rusher earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after recording 46 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.
“It was a pretty up and down season numbers-wise for Felix,” Drew Galloway, the Kansas State reporter for On3.com said. “He was banged up a lot of the year and needed offseason surgery. He also faced a lot of double teams this season and was the focal point of opposing scouting reports. He was great against Texas Tech and had three sacks for the game. Most of his work this season actually didn’t show up in the stat sheet and came off of freeing up other players on the edge. His presence and ability to disrupt led to Brendan Mott having a career year in sacks. It was a good season for him especially when you consider he was hurt after the first week of the season and was pretty banged up most of the year.”
Anudike-Uzomah is solidly built with good length. The Kansas State edge rusher uses a powerful long arm to drive blockers backward. He has violent hands that jolt linemen and does a good job of converting speed to power.
“He has really powerful hands to go with a really good get-off,” Galloway said. “The play that went viral last season against Texas Tech causing the safety shows his strength and his get off. He also has a knack for making the big play when it’s needed. He destroyed Max Duggan in the Big 12 Championship Game on a third down play when K-State had all the momentum and it looked to be a massive play, but it ended up being wiped away because of a muffed punt.”
Anudike-Uzomah has a quick first step off the line of scrimmage and he’s absolutely relentless. He does a good job of using his length and active hands to keep himself free. He’s a bendy edge rusher and once he wins the corner he quickly closes on the quarterback with his long strides. He has a diverse pass-rush plan that keeps offensive tackles guessing. According to Pro Football Focus, Anudike-Uzomah recorded 89 pressures over the past two seasons.
“What makes him so relentless off the edge is his combination of strength and speed,” Galloway said. “He’s extremely quick off the edge and is just a lot faster than most tackles and plays really really hard.”
The Kansas State defensive lineman has the lateral quickness to slither around offensive linemen to make plays behind the line of scrimmage (25.5 tackles for loss the past two seasons). He has the short-area quickness and lateral quickness to chase down ball carriers. There are times when he can be bullied and knocked off balance.
“He’s pretty solid against the run,” Galloway said. “He’s really relentless and is really disruptive in the backfield against the run as well. He does have a tendency to sometimes be too aggressive in his run fits and that can lead to some longer runs.”
Fit with the Packers
With his blend of size, strength, and initial quickness, Anduike-Uzomah could be the ideal long-term running mate for Gary in Green Bay. He’s a detailed pass rusher that has a knack for putting pressure on the quarterback.
“I don’t think he’s played his best football yet,” Galloway said. “He was just a two-star coming out of high school and didn’t have another FBS offer besides Kansas State. North Dakota State actually pulled his offer a few days before signing day and he was going to go to Missouri to be a regular student until K-State offered him. In his freshman year, he played in five games so he burned his redshirt while only really getting his feet wet. He’s gained almost 50 pounds since high school. He has a really big desire to win and succeed and always wants to be the best and wants to learn and grow. I’d also draft him because he’s a really fun and funny person to be around and was really fun to cover over the last three seasons.”
The Packers finished this past season with just 256 pressures, which ranked 26th in the league (PFF). They need to bolster their pass rush and Anudike-Uzomah can get after the quarterback with the best of them.
