BJ Ojulari Complete NFL Draft Profile (Promising Potential Overshadows Physical Shortcomings)

After an impressive senior year at LSU, EDGE BJ Ojulari is entering the 2023 NFL Draft. He might not be the biggest name or flashiest prospect in the class, but there's no doubt that Ojulari can be a defensive playmaker wherever he lands.

Here's everything you need to know about BJ Ojulari heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

BJ Ojulari Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/13: Walter Football, Sporting News, Draft Tek, Pro Football Network, ESPN, Mel Kiper.

Projected Draft Round: Round 2 (5), Round 3 (1)
Projected Team: Bears (2), Titans (1), Texans (1), Panthers (1), Falcons (1)

BJ Ojulari Scouting Report

BJ Ojulari is someone who made defenders pay for any mistakes they made during his time at LSU. The promising EDGE finished the 2022 campaign with a career-high 58 tackles (8.5 for a loss) along with 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble over the course of 11 games.

In fact, getting at the quarterback is something Ojulari did with ease over the last three seasons. He racked up 16.5 sacks over 31 total games with the Tigers, adding 76 QB hurries and 30 hits over that span. His high football IQ and non-stop motor are reasons why he excels in this regard.

It isn't all sunshine and rainbows for Ojulari, though. His arms aren't as long as they could be to fend off blockers while his light frame occasionally leads to him being bullied by offensive linemen. While he was able to get away with that in college, it'll be much tougher against bigger NFL competition.

BJ Ojulari NFL Draft Prediction

It's hard to predict where BJ Ojulari will land later this month. Although he's shown flashes of brilliance, he's more of a project than a Day 1 starter. There will be growing pains until he puts on more weight and works on his ability to get around offensive lines. Assuming he works on those areas, though, the sky is the limit as far as an NFL career goes.

With three picks on Day 2 (No.'s 53, 61 and 64), the Chicago Bears could end up taking Ojulari. Getting at opposing quarterbacks was an area where the Bears struggled in 2022, finishing dead last in sacks (20), pressures (85) and QB knockdowns (20).

Will Ojulari solve the Bears' issues in Week 1? No, but he could be a key defender in the organization for years to come with a defensive-minded head coach like Matt Eberflus guiding him.

They might not use their first second-rounder on him due to his status as a project, but the Bears taking Ojulari before the end of Day 2 would be a great pick.

Prediction: Chicago Bears (Round 2, 61st overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

BJ Ojulari NFL Combine Results

BJ Ojulari LSU Stats

BJ Ojulari LSU Highlights

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.