Green Bay Packers

Could David Ojabo Fall To the Packers In Round 2?

Photo Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers made sure to pay plenty of attention to their defensive edge this offseason. While Za’Darius Smith was a cap casualty who made his way to the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers gave Preston Smith a sizable contract extension. They could also be doling one out to Rashan Gary soon.

Still, there are depth issues on the edge for the Packers that they will need to address. One option is David Ojabo, and they should pounce if he slips to Round 2.

Ojabo suffered a brutal Achilles injury back in the middle of March at Michigan’s pro day. It could sideline him for the 2022 season — or at least a lot of it. Ojabo was once a sure-fire first-round pick, but now it’s a foggy mystery where he may go.

Many will shy away because of the injury and the severity of it. It’s a similar situation to what happened with Jaylon Smith coming out of college. Smith was a top half of the first-round lock before suffering a knee injury in his final game at Notre Dame. He slipped to the second round of the 2016 draft.

Ojabo would be a steal for anyone who selects him should he fall out of the first round or to the back end of it. But that’s if he can get back to his old form — and that’s a big if. Per The Draft Network, the ceiling is as high for Ojabo as any edge rusher in this draft class.

Ojabo has freakish burst and range as an athlete to help make an impact on the perimeter as both a pass rusher and in pursuit. Ojabo isn’t a perfect prospect, but his ceiling may be as high as any 2022 pass rusher not named Kayvon Thibodeaux, and prospects with these kinds of physical gifts don’t last very long in April. Teams that implement wide-angled rushers will find great temptation in Ojabo’s game and will be best positioned to find an every-down role for him early in his NFL career as he continues to add seasoning and better understanding of the snap-by-snap workings of the game. The only thing standing between him and dominance as an edge rusher is more experience—finding a secure path to getting that experience will depend on his pro landing spot.

That perfect landing spot would be Green Bay. Ojabo could have a setup that would be a carbon copy of what Gary got when the Packers drafted him.

Green Bay used a first-round pick on Rashan Gary in 2019. Earlier that offseason, they signed both Preston and Za’Darius Smith. The expectations for Gary were sky-high, but the Packers gave him plenty of time to get his feet wet and get comfortable with the two Smiths holding down the starting spots. As a result, Gary learned from the two veterans and eased his way onto the field. Now, he’s developed into one of the best young edge rushers in the league because the Packers gave him the time to develop.

Coming off a serious injury, Ojabo shouldn’t be rushed into any sort of action right away in 2022. The Packers present an opportunity where there wouldn’t be any immediate pressure given what they have in place. However, it would provide them with plenty of depth once Ojabo can get back onto the field. Of course, they would keep their fingers crossed that Ojabo pans out to be the first-round talent everyone saw before the Achilles injury.

Everyone sees the upside and the raw talent. The question is the recovery from the injury. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com sees a gem of a pick if Ojabo falls to Round 2.

Emerging edge defender who should see a substantial leap in play consistency with more time to work on his technique and learn the game. The upside is evident, despite his inexperience. At times, the run tape can be a rough study, but it improved as the 2021 season progressed. Ojabo’s rush approach is fairly sophisticated with the feet and agility to juke, stutter, spin and race his way past offensive tackles. He’s not ready to take on pro run blockers, but Ojabo is in the early stages of his physical and play development. The Achilles tear he suffered at his pro day is likely to hurt his draft stock, but it will be hard for teams to pass on his upside if he remains available in the second round.

Most pundits point towards the Packers needing wide receivers, and that’s valid. But they have four picks in the top 60 of this draft. The edge rusher depth needs to be shored up. If David Ojabo is sitting on the board in the second round, why not step into the box and take that swing?

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