Ochaun Mathis Complete NFL Draft Profile (Pass-Rushing Skills Make Mathis a Potential Late-Round Steal)

Nebraska defensive end Ochaun Mathis is eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft following his standout college career. A two-time second-team All-Big 12 player while at TCU, Mathis was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks in college, and could hear his name called as early as the sixth round in April.

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

Ochaun Mathis Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/28: NFL.com, ESPN, CBS Sports, Walter Football, Sporting News.

Projected Draft Round: Round 6 (1), Round 7 (1), Undrafted (3)
Projected Team: 49ers (1), Rams (1)

Ochaun Mathis Scouting Report

Mathis signed with TCU as a three-star recruit out of high school and played sparingly as a freshman before taking on a bigger role in 2019. He tallied 40 total tackles (9.0 for loss) and 2.5 sacks across 12 games. Mathis then racked up 44 total tackles (12.5 for loss) and 8.0 sacks during the 2020 season.

The Texas native second-team All-Big 12 player in 2020 and then again in 2021 as he tallied 45 total tackles (4.0 for loss) and 2.0 sacks. Mathis transferred to Nebraska for his final college season, posting 48 total tackles (5.0 for loss) and 3.5 sacks in 12 games played for the Cornhuskers.

Highlighted strengths of Mathis' game center on natural instincts. He has one of the best bursts in this class and is quick to make a move when the ball is snapped. Mathis has also been praised for his physical length as his long arms allow him to control offensive linemen when rushing the quarterback.

Mathis is far from a perfect prospect, though, as he fails to anchor himself when defending the run and doesn't attack ball carriers the same way he does quarterbacks. He could benefit from improving his upper-body strength as well. Nevertheless, Mathis has the explosiveness to make an NFL impact.

Ochaun Mathis NFL Draft Prediction

Mathis is not a polished prospect by any means and will best improve with snaps on the field, so the idea of him landing with a rebuilding squad makes a lot of sense. Super Bowl contenders do not have the time to let Mathis hurt them in rush defense as he figures out how to combat his weaknesses.

Adding a player that simply knows how to get into the backfield and make a play is exactly what the Falcons should be looking to do in the later rounds. That's especially the case given the team opted to draft running back Bijan Robinson in the first round. Addressing the defense has to be a priority.

Atlanta has two selections in Round 4 as well as in Round 7 that it could use to ensure Mathis is playing inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2023. The TCU and Nebraska standout is someone defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen could mold into an effective edge rusher for years to come.

Prediction: Atlanta Falcons (Round 7, 224 overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Ochaun Mathis NFL Combine Results

Ochaun Mathis College Stats

Ochaun Mathis College Highlights

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. 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.