2023 NFL Draft Snapshot: Moro Ojomo
Jake Langi’s recent piece on why he stood on the table for Moro Ojomo offers the best background available on the Katy (Texas) standout before his Longhorn career began. Ojomo was one of the handful of players during the 2018 cycle who, instead of signing during the early period, made the most of his newfound attention and waited until near the second signing day to join the Longhorn program.
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The defense he joined was Todd Orlando’s three-down system, so as the extremely-young-for-his-grade Ojomo added weight and acclimated himself to the college game, he was doing so as a 4i defensive end. His three appearances during his freshman year were against three highly-rated teams in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Georgia.
He stayed at 4i for 2019 and appeared in all 13 games, starting three, while only 18 years old. When Chris Ash arrived ahead of the 2020 season, Ojomo was moved outside while Ta’Quon Graham stayed inside at three-tech.
Despite long arms and impressive strength, edge work wasn’t Ojomo’s specialty. Motor was. Even while a little out of position, he had 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and three hurries.
The long-curve prospect started climbing more and more in the 2021 campaign, when Pete Kwiatkowski moved him to a defensive tackle position. He was usually the 3-technique alongside Keondre Coburn, but no matter where he lined up he was asked to use that strength to hold the line to clean up reads for the linebacker corps.
In 2022, as a 21-year-old who had grown into his near-6-foot-3, 290-pound frame, Ojomo put together his best season in Austin. He, alongside Coburn, functioned as the rocks of Texas’ run defense. The Longhorns made a drastic improvement defensively from 2021 to 2022, and Ojomo played a key part. He had more opportunities to penetrate through the line of scrimmage, a skill he learned over the course of his time in Austin.
He used his developed strength, arm-length, and want-to when working to stifle run plays. While effort players aren’t often known for technical skill, Ojomo showcased plenty when working his hands on the interior. He used his entire skill set to earn second-team All-Big 12 honors in his senior season and an invite to the 2023 NFL combine.
His game wasn’t flawless. He moved back inside after the 2020 season not only because Kwiatkowski had a better role for him on the interior, but also because his pass rush ability from the edge was not up to snuff for a Power 5 EDGE. It’s still one of the areas of his game that teams will have questions about.
Plus, he made waves during the offseason between the 2021 and 2022 seasons for his extremely candid remarks about the program and players who were not doing what was necessary to be successful in high-level college football. While there was plenty of truth in what he said, the program likely didn’t appreciate him calling out teammates or revealing potentially illicit behavior by others in the program to the media. That won’t ding his draft grade, as Ojomo possesses work ethic and dedication few in the locker room could match, but it’s a part of his resume just like his finance degree from the McCombs School of Business (and his pair of Silver Spurs).
Considering he still has some development ahead of him, and his experience at multiple defensive line positions, Ojomo will hear his name called at some point in the draft. He can play in multiple defenses, but one where he’s asked to be a stiff line of defense against the run to protect two-high safety looks may be his best fit. That could be in a position close to where he played his first two years on campus (4i), or his last two years (mostly 3-tech).
There’s still work for Ojomo to do, but he has the work ethic to get there. All in all, he’ll join a long line of Longhorn defensive linemen who have been called up to the NFL ranks.
40-yard dash: 5.04 | Bench: 29 | Vertical: 33 | Broad Jump: 9 feet 4 inches | 3 Cone: 7.45 | 20-yard shuttle: 4.60 | The Athletic draft grade: Round 4-5
Pro day measurements: 6-foot-2.5, 289 pounds
What’s working for Ojomo
- Positional versatility, has played good football at multiple positions
- Strong player, as his 29 bench press reps indicate
- High-motor, high-effort
- Football smart and book smart, has shown a strong dedication to the sport
- Stifles run plays by preventing blockers from reaching the second level, engages with long arms
- Still has room for development, will only be 21 at draft time
- Good burst, 1.68 10-yard split in his 40-yard-dash
What’s working against Ojomo
- Despite accolades, limited statistical production during his best seasons
- Pass-rush is not a real strength whether inside or outside
- Limited repertoire of moves
- Might be pigeon-holed into a certain style of defense
- Part of a draft class where players with better frames offered more production
