Atlanta Falcons select Ruke Orhorhoro in 2nd round of 2024 NFL Draft

The Atlanta Falcons have selected Clemson Tigers defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Orhorhoro has officially landed in the NFL after spending five years in Death Valley under the leadership of national championship-winning head coach Dabo Swinney.

Orhorhoro joined the Tigers program back in 2019 as a part of Swinney’s 2019 recruiting class, which ranks 9th in the nation and tops in the ACC. The six-foot-four interior defensive lineman made his way to Clemson, SC, from River Ridge, MI, where he played for the small town’s namesake high school. Orhorhoro wasn’t a major recruit out of high school, ranking 740 nationally as a three-star recruit with a rating of 86, according to on3’s Industry Rankings.

Once at Clemson, Orhorhoro put together a respectable collegiate career under one of the top defensive minds in college football. In his first two seasons, he played sparingly, seeing action in just four games. But in the three years that followed, Orhorhoro would play in nearly every Tigers contest. Orhorhoro leaves Clemson with 88 career tackles, 39 solo, 25.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Ruke Orhorhoro

NFL.com gives Ruke Orhorhoro a prospect grade of 6.25, putting him in the middle of the group classified as a ‘Will Eventually Be Average Starter.’ NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein provided an analysis of the former Clemson defensive lineman’s ability and how it transitions to the next level.

“Orhorhoro had to wait his turn and share reps during his time at Clemson, thanks to the Tigers’ deep, talented defensive fronts. His game is built upon leverage and explosiveness, but in 2023, he added a little more polish. Orhorhoro can get distracted by individual battles and needs to keep his focus trained on pursuing the ball and making positive plays. His foot quickness and sudden hands shine in the running game and as a pass rusher when he has space to work, so teams would be wise to keep that in mind when it comes to his alignments. The pass rush still needs improvement, but he projects as an ascending talent and future starter in odd or even fronts.”

NFL.com also lists Orhorhoro’s strengths as follows: Unified hands and feet slide quickly past lateral block attempts; field demeanor can turn cranky from time to time; tools and potential are present for him to become a better pass rusher as a pro; quick to close out quarterbacks once he finds the pocket; lateral quickness for elevated twist success in pros.

The former Clemson interior defensive lineman does have some weaknesses that are likely to rear their heads at the next level but can be corrected with the right teacher. One of the things he is still learning how to do is convert his speed to power. Also, Orhorhoro tends to rely more on his athletic ability than utilizing his skills to get to the quarterback.