Georgia EDGE Azeez Ojulari could solve the Raiders pass-rush woes

If you were to take a look at mock drafts from this week, you’ll notice that most of them have the Raiders going offensive line in Round 1. That’s not a bad option as the team has a massive hole at right tackle and they need to find someone right away to protect Derek Carr.

However, one of the deepest positions in the draft is on the offensive line and it’s reasonable that the Raiders could find a starter sometime on Day 2. The same can’t be said about pass-rushers as they will likely come off the board early and often.

If the Raiders are serious about upgrading their pass-rush, they could be in a great position to grab another high-end rusher at pick No. 17. The best EDGE rusher in the class is Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari, who dominated in the SEC last season.

Despite playing less than 400 snaps, Ojulari produced big-time numbers. He recorded 12.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks in 10 games for Georgia. He led the SEC in sacks, tackles for a loss and forced fumbles (four) despite being a part-time player.

Ojulari has an incredible first step that allows him to fire off the line of scrimmage. At the top of his rush, he can dip and bend around the edge, giving even the most athletic tackles problems. But he’s not just a speed rusher either as he uses his long arms to forklift offensive tackles off the ground and into the quarterback.

Ojulari is also the first-ever freshman team captain under Kirby Smart and we know how much Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden value high-character players in the draft. That, on top of his pass-rushing skills, will make him an intriguing option to any team in the first round.

While the Raiders did add Yannick Ngakoue this offseason, the team could always use more juice off the edge. Ojulari has a chance to be a special rusher as he was productive in the SEC at 19 and 20-years old.

Don’t be surprised if Ojulari is a darkhorse candidate to be picked at No. 17 by the Raiders.

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