The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers lost Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry in free agency leaving the Packers thin along the defensive line.
With more snaps, Devonte Wyatt figures to make a jump during his second year in the league. Kenny Clark is still Kenny Clark. With those two in place, along with TJ Slaton, the Packers have a solid foundation in place.
Now Brian Gutekunst needs to add a couple more pieces in the upcoming NFL Draft. A prospect that Green Bay’s general manager could target in the 2023 NFL Draft is Moro Ojomo. The Texas defensive lineman checks in at No. 26 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
.@TexasFootball has three senior IDL and right now the one carrying highest grade from NFL scouts is #98 Moro Ojomo. Great rep here showing range down LOS and hand strength to shed block for TFL. @MoroOjomo was very active last week vs. Alabama. 🧵2/3#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/4JObuJJxQM
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 14, 2022
Born in Nigeria, Ojomo moved to California when he was seven years old, then moved to Katy, Texas when he was in seventh grade.
During his redshirt freshman season in 2019, Ojomo recorded 2.5 tackles for loss. The following season Ojomo recorded 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. In 2021, Ojomo recorded three tackles for loss. This past season Ojomo recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
“Ojomo quietly had a reliable season for Texas,” Joey Hickey, a contributor for Longhornswire.com said. “He really stepped up as a disrupter and complemented Keondre Coburn and Barryn Sorrell up front.”
Ojomo came to Texas when he was just 16 years old. He finished his time as a Longhorn as a three-year starter and improved each season, as evident as this past season when he posted career highs in every statistical category.
“Moro is really smart,” Hickey said. “He got started at Texas around 16 or 17, so he’s used to facing older competition as well. It may not take long for him to adjust to older, more physically imposing competition since that’s what he faced in college.”
Ojomo is a twitchy defensive lineman. He has good initial quickness off the snap. His 1.77 10-yard split was tied for the fifth-fastest among defensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Ojomo has good length (34 ½ inch arms) and utilizes a long arm move to his advantage. He’s able to collapse the pocket and while he may not always get home he finished this past season with 26 pressures.
Moro Ojomo: 17% pass rush win rate last season
Led all Big 12 DTs🤘 pic.twitter.com/NMuPIpj7eC
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 28, 2023
“He may not get the sack but he’s often capable of displacing the quarterback from his intended platform,” Hickey said. “Moro may have gotten more sacks if the secondary played tighter coverage.”
Ojomo has quick feet and he’s able to split the gap to disrupt the action in the backfield. He’s naturally powerful, with violent hands. He’s strong at the point of attack and is more than capable of controlling his gap. Ojomo has the lateral quickness to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. The Texas defensive tackle has a motor that runs hot.
“The Texas run defense was excellent this season,” Hickey said. “Moro certainly played a role. He’s a well-rounded player.”
Fit with the Packers
The Packers need bodies up front and will likely be in the market for multiple defensive linemen in the draft.
Ojomo is a day-three pick and would provide quality depth along the defensive line, while also boasting the quickness to bolster Green Bay’s interior pass rush.
“Ojomo has a great work ethic and challenges his teammates to work harder,” Hickey said. “ I don’t expect him to be elite in any way but I think he can be effective because he can do his job. Fulfilling assignments is paramount for defensive tackles and I think you can certainly get that from him.”
Ojomo has disruptive traits. With his length, power, and initial quickness, Ojomo is more than capable of developing into an interior force at the next level.
Given his age (21), and athletic profile, it’s a safe bet that Ojomo is on Green Bay’s board.
If he’s still on the board when the Packers are on the clock in the fourth or fifth round, Ojomo could be a target, as Green Bay looks to restock the defensive line depth after losing Reed and Lowry.
The Packers need to get Clark more help and Ojomo has all the tools in the shed to develop into a key figure for the Packers up front.
