Rams 2023 Draft Prospect Profile: B.J. Ojulari (Edge, LSU)

[theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams 2023 Draft Prospect Profile: B.J. Ojulari (Edge, LSU)

Skyler Carlin
April 6, 2023 5:00 am PT
The Los Angeles Rams struggled to rush the quarterback off the edge in 2022, totaling 15.5 sacks from their edge rushers. Leonard Floyd tallied nine of those sacks, and Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins combined for two.

All three of those guys are no longer with the Rams and the team now has 4.5 career sacks from their edge rushers. Michael Hoecht has all 4.5 of those sacks, making outside linebacker a major need for the team entering the 2023 NFL draft.

If the Rams want to address the edge rusher spot early in this year’s draft, B.J. Ojulari out of LSU is a viable choice.

Background
Ojulari is a younger edge rusher in the 2023 NFL draft as he spent only three years at LSU. In his three seasons playing for the Tigers, Ojulari totaled 128 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

His brother, Azeez, was a second-round pick for the New York Giants in 2021 and he’s had a solid career thus far. Ojulari didn’t run at the NFL scouting combine or LSU’s pro day.

How he fits the Rams
Ojulari is an athletic edge rusher that has an impressive ability to bend around offensive linemen when rushing the quarterback. Needs to improve as a run defender, but he’s an effective pass rusher and has plenty of moves entering the NFL.

The Rams need more pass-rush-centric edge rushers and Ojulari certainly fits the description. Drafting Ojulari and signing a veteran in free agency before the 2023 season begins would help the Rams improve their edge-rusher room.

Draft projection
Despite Ojulari not testing for teams in the pre-draft process, he’s still expected to go somewhat early in the draft due to his upside. The majority of mock drafts have Ojulari going late in the first round or early in the second round.

With the glaring need at edge rusher, the Rams could look to use the 36th overall pick on Ojulari if he’s still available. There’s also a slim chance that the Rams could trade up for Ojulari if they catch wind of another team looking to target him before they are on the clock.