Ed Orgeron names two LSU defenders who could be high NFL draft picks

LSU isn’t having the best season by any means, but Ed Orgeron’s team has some key defensive players who have given their all week-by-week. There’s two guys in particular who the Tigers’ head coach thinks will be high NFL draft picks.

Sophomore defensive end BJ Ojulari and sophomore defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy is the duo Orgeron was referring to. Although they’re young, Ojulari and Roy have been anchors for the LSU defense and are most certainly NFL-caliber players.

While Ojulari has recorded 36 total tackles with seven tackles-for-loss, six sacks and five quarterback hurries, Roy has made 21 tackles to go along with 2.5 tackles-for-loss, half of a sack, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble – all of those being numbers that have impressed Coach O.

“BJ’s a force – and he’s a force on special teams, too,” Orgeron said earlier this week. “Outstanding player. All BJ ever says is ‘yes sir.’ He’s a great young man, a great worker. I’ve seen a lot of maturity in Jaquelin Roy. I feel like both of those young men have a chance to be high draft picks. I’ve seen Jack Leroy learn his craft, come to work, is in better condition, has a great attitude towards work all day, so if he continues that I think he’s going to end up being a great player here.”

Ojulari and Roy are the two players Orgeron mentioned in terms of making it to the NFL, but he also brought up another name – and again from the defensive side of the ball – that’s impressed him this season: Soni Fonua.

A senior defensive end who’s made 13 tackles with 1.5 tackles-for-loss this year, Fonua started in last week’s game at No. 2 ranked Alabama and made Coach O proud by the way he performed against the Crimson Tide.

“Also, Soni,” Orgeron said when on the topic of defensive playmakers. “You look at Soni and Soni’s played tackle, nose, end for us. He finally got his chance to start – he was in the big game, he loved it and did very well, so happy for those guys that kept on fighting.”

Following LSU’s tough 20-14 loss to Alabama, the Tigers will try to bounce back this week as they host Arkansas at Tiger Stadium. Following its matchup with the Razorbacks, LSU has remaining regular-season games against Louisiana-Monroe (Nov. 20) and Texas A&M (Nov. 27) – with both games taking place in Baton Rouge.