Considering the premium placed on pass-rushers along with his considerable collegiate production, it was surprising that new New York Giants defensive end Owa Odighizuwa slid all the way to the third-round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
When taking into account the good, not great agility numbers he posted during the pre-draft process though, it makes a bit more sense.
Despite finishing his four-year Bruins career with 136 tackles, 24.5 for loss, and 12.5 sacks and clocking in at an impressive and imposing 6-foot-3, 267-pounds, Odighizuwa fell to New York in the third thanks to injuries which cost him his 2013 season and the lack of explosion he displayed in his shorts and t-shirts workouts.
Still, while he entered the NFL as something of a one-year wonder, Odighizuwa may have landed in the best possible situation - a situation which should allow him to make an immediate impact and, if he develops as expected, could see him end up the long-term starter across from Jason Pierre-Paul.
"The Giants were fortunate to land Odighizuwa in the third round, which looks like a perfect fit for him," writes Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. "He has the ability to move inside to rush the passer in passing situations, and Spagnuolo's defense thrived with the Giants when he had Tuck doing that. The Giants needed some depth at defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was franchised but hasn't been signed for the long term. Young defenders Damontre Moore and Kerry Wynn have flashed at times, but haven't proven to be long-term starters either. George Selvie, meanwhile, was added in the offseason to compete with another veteran in Robert Ayers. New York has depth, but Odighizuwa has the physical talent to emerge as the eventual starter opposite Pierre-Paul. "
Odighizuwa was lauded pre-draft for his versatility - he played a number of roles in UCLA's 3-4 defense last season, managing five passes defensed to go along with his six sacks.
Odighizuwa though, seemed to suffer from the same categorization that comes with a lot of jack-of-all-trades players - good at everything, great at nothing.
The former Bruin did show a knack for getting to the quarterback at UCLA and it's that skillset which Giants GM Jerry Reese, head coach Tom Coughlin and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likely coveted.
If he can utilize his considerable strength, tenacity and straight-line speed, Odighizuwa can spend his rookie season as reprising a Tuck-like role, moving around the defensive line and honing his pass-rush.
Assuming he's able to develop, Odighizuwa has the potential to line up across from JPP - assuming he signs his franchise tender and reports soon - for Big Blue for years to come.
