2023 NFL draft: 3 defensive tackles for Chargers to watch at Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off this week, which will bring the 2023 draft class fully into focus, as this is the week of athletic testing, evaluations, and interviews for over 300 prospects.
With the combine ready to set the stage before free agency and the draft, we look at players worth monitoring for the Chargers.
Whether it be players who are options at pick No. 21 or later in the draft, we will pick out some at each position who should test well and generate buzz.
Here are a few interior defensive linemen worth keeping an eye on.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
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Morgan Fox played his way into a contract extension, but if he isn’t re-signed, the Chargers will look to add pass rush along the interior. And Adebawore may interest them. Lining up both inside and outside, Adebawore is an athletic penetrator with a great first step who knows how to set up and counter blockers and uses his long levers to win at the point of attack and gain blocker’s edge. He has an incredible motor, plays the run down the line and is always around the football. The Missouri native amassed 11.5 sacks. Checking in at No. 30 on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List,” Adebawore posted a 4.05 pro shuttle; a 6.9 3-cone to go with a 10-5 broad jump and a 37.5 vertical jump. Look for him to jump out of the gym.
Dante Stills, West Virginia
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Stills first caught my eye at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Stills was one of the most energized players in the trenches. He raised eyebrows with his first-step quickness and twitchiness to penetrate, which blockers struggled to compromise for. He continuously fought with his hands and owned the leverage battle with great pop in his upper half. His motor ran nonstop and he was one of the most vocal players on the field. And then, when I turned on his tape, I saw the same play style. With his athleticism, agility and burst, I expect Stills to test well. A mainstay in the backfield, Stills completed his five-year career with 38 starts as the Mountaineer’s program leader in tackles-for-loss, amassing 52.5, 23.5 sacks and 134 tackles.
Moro Ojomo, Texas
One of “my guys,” Ojomo has the pass-rush ability, impressive first-step quickness, eye-popping length (83 3/8-inch wingspan), and hand use to make plays all over the defensive line, drawing parallels to former Texans and current Falcons defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham. According to Pro Football Focus, Ojomo was one of only four Power Five interior defensive linemen with top-15 grades as both a pass rusher and a run defender. A menace on third down, Ojomo had a pressure rate of 17.2% and a pass rush win rate of 24.1%. Now it’s a matter of how he tests, but the tape shows a player the Chargers should consider drafting.
