2021 NFL Draft: Could Azeez Ojulari fall to KC Chiefs?

Most NFL mock drafts will tell you that Georgia pass rusher Azeez Ojulari is bound for Day 1, a versatile and talented disruptor who many teams will be clamoring after in the first round. But after some recent medical checks, is it possible that a team like the K.C. Chiefs will be able to get their hands on him?

The Chiefs were already going to have to employ a patient approach to the NFL Draft this offseason just like they’ve done every year since Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback, given their position at or near the very bottom of the first round. Yet after the team’s earlier trade for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., the Baltimore Ravens now own the team’s first round pick. That means general manager Brett Veach and his staff will have to wait even longer than normal.

At present, the Chiefs are sitting on two late second-round selections, which will both be made on Friday. If that feels far out of range for a pass rusher like Ojulari, it is, at least according to most draft analysts and the typical mock draft simulation. However, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network had word on Tuesday that Ojulari’s medical reports could be altering his draft stock.

Earlier this month, some NFL prospects went back to Indianapolis to get re-checked on medical concerns shortly before the draft. This offseason has already proved more difficult for teams to sort out such information, but at least these Indy visits can reveal some flags for teams to consider. In terms of Ojulari, Pauline wrote, “The other player I’m told came out of Indianapolis worse for the wear was Georgia pass rusher Azeez Ojulari, who was flagged for a degenerative lower leg condition.”

Some medical red flags could push Azeez Ojulari within range for the KC Chiefs.

On the surface, it’s hard to picture a player like Ojulari falling too far considering he was such a high-profile defensive threat. He led the entire SEC in sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (12.5), which is a great way to turn heads against the highest level of competition. He also generated four forced fumbles in 10 games. He’s so young but he’s already a fairly polished product as a disruptor with an excellent blend of strength, technique, and burst.

But in this draft class, the pass rushers all come with some question marks and Ojulari now has a medical flag on him. He’s also a bit small. It’s hard to even tell how interested the Chiefs would be in him as a first-round pick given that he’s a tweener, at least when compared to the typical positional requirements in Steve Spagnuolo’s system. If the need to be filled is defensive end, and to be sure, it is a great need, then Ojulari’s size of 249 lbs. could prove to be a hurdle as a fit because he played 10 pounds lighter than that in college.

It’s possible that the Chiefs would deploy Ojulari as a situational pass rusher and utilize his talents in the second level before then, and maybe Ojulari’s ceiling is worth that sort of creative projection for the Chiefs at this stage. If you love the guy and believe him to be a difference maker, then you find ways to bend the system to fit his talents.

Ojulari profiles best in a 3-4 system but he’s also the type of talent who transcends those constraints, as most defensive coordinators, if not all, would be quite happy to find ways to use a player of Ojulari’s talents. Will he fall to the Chiefs given the medical concerns that were recently unearthed? Will the Chiefs bend a bit to bring him in if so? It’s an interesting fit that could land one of the draft’s best pure pass rushers on a team bound for the Super Bowl.