After producing probably the most memorable single-game performances in faculty soccer historical past, Kansas State defensive finish Felix Anudike-Uzomah enters the 2023 NFL Draft cycle as a scorching commodity. In an EDGE class that’s set to be headlined by Will Anderson Jr., can the Wildcats prospect assert himself amongst the “better of the remaining” with a strong junior season? An early voyage into his NFL draft scouting report verifies a reputable candidacy.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah NFL draft profile
Whereas he’s earned early acclaim within the 2023 NFL Draft EDGE class, Anudike-Uzomah hasn’t all the time been held in such excessive regard. A three-star recruit out of Lee’s Summit Excessive Faculty within the 2020 class, he was initially dedicated to North Dakota State till a late flip to Kansas State in 2019. Anudike-Uzomah’s manufacturing potential was obvious even then, with 184 tackles, 55 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks in a three-year highschool profession.
Weighing simply 220 kilos at highschool most likely didn’t assist. Regardless of this, Anudike-Uzomah performed in 5 video games for Kansas State as a real freshman. He tallied three tackles, together with his first profession sack towards Kansas. But, his true influence on college football and the thrill for his NFL draft potential got here throughout his sophomore marketing campaign final fall.
If it hadn’t been for a daft NCAA rule, we’d be speaking about Anudike-Uzomah’s six-sack efficiency towards TCU as the perfect of all time. Nonetheless, 4 sacks isn’t too shabby. The sport contributed to Anudike-Uzomah’s 0.85 sacks per sport (11 whole and eleventh nationally) whereas the Kansas State EDGE tied the nationwide lead with 0.46 pressured fumbles per sport (six whole).
Anudike-Uzomah turned the primary participant in class historical past to register two three-sack video games whereas tallying 14.5 tackles for loss. Because of this, he enters 2022 on a wave of expectation.
- Place: Defensive Finish
- Faculty: Kansas State
- Present Yr: Junior
- Top/Weight: 6’4″, 255 kilos
Anudike-Uzomah’s scouting report
That expectation paves the way in which for pleasure over Anudike-Uzomah’s 2023 NFL Draft projection. It’s all the time vital to grasp that manufacturing doesn’t all the time translate to professional potential. Nevertheless, if you flip on the tape, it’s nearly instantly obvious that there’s one thing particular there with the Kansas State EDGE.
Whereas we’ll pump the brakes with some areas of enchancment afterward, digging into the strengths of Anudike-Uzomah’s sport signifies that he has the abilities to translate faculty numbers into NFL success.
Anudike-Uzomah’s strengths
The Kansas State energy workers have completed a improbable job with Anudike-Uzomah by way of his bodily preparation for the NFL stage. Arriving on the program weighing simply 220 kilos, he now suggestions the scales at 255 kilos.
On his 6’4″ body, he seems to be the a part of an NFL move rusher. He’s excessive lower, together with his lengthy legs permitting him to eat up floor in pursuit. In the meantime, the 2023 NFL Draft prospect seems to be blessed with glorious size.
These lengthy legs give Anudike-Uzomah the idea for a formidable athletic profile. He possesses good play velocity, together with his lengthy strides constructing a head of steam as he makes his strategy to the ball provider. There are a number of examples on tape of Anudike-Uzomah chasing down opponents downfield to make a play. Moreover, they act as a catalyst for off-snap explosion. The Kansas State EDGE routinely beats his man to the punch in consequence.
Anudike-Uzomah additionally demonstrates glorious lateral agility as a part of his athletic profile. He’s in a position to flip his trajectory of assault comparatively effortlessly, enabling him to seem to assault the skin monitor earlier than making his transfer internally. This lateral agility can be demonstrated towards the run sport the place he’s proven the power to maintain his toes shifting laterally to scrape throughout the formation and make his strategy to the ball provider.
There’s a transparent physicality to Anudike-Uzomah’s sport that, mixed together with his athletic prowess talked about above, ought to guarantee he’s an alluring 2023 NFL Draft prospect. The Kansas State EDGE has a robust decrease physique that always permits him to current as an immovable object within the floor sport. Anudike-Uzomah is greater than able to standing his floor towards bigger offensive linemen. In the meantime, he’s been ready to make use of this decrease physique energy to maneuver his opponents backward each within the floor sport and as a move rusher.
As a move rusher, Anudike-Uzomah flashes some violence in his arms to influence his opponent, which is enabled each by higher physique energy and his size. He’s in a position to get his arms inside his opponent, and in consequence, converts velocity to energy nicely as one weapon in his armory. There have been a number of examples of him deploying a dip and rip transfer within the video games studied whereas he additionally tried to deploy spin strikes.
There have been some examples of Anudike-Uzomah having the ability to set the sting within the run sport, an underrated aspect of NFL draft EDGE analysis. Moreover, towards the run, he routinely showcases the power to find the ball provider. Anudike-Uzomah makes use of his size to cease ball carriers of their tracks and regularly acts as a stonewall within the floor sport.
In each the bottom and passing sport, the Kansas State EDGE has showcased his potential to beat double-teams. His footwork and decrease physique energy are an asset on this regard. Nevertheless, he’s additionally demonstrated the power to make use of his size and hand work to disengage from blocks and make a play on the ball. Moreover, Anudike-Uzomah has demonstrated he can contort his physique to knife between double-teams and get to the quarterback.
Whether or not move speeding or defending the run, the 2023 NFL Draft prospect performs the sport with a purple scorching motor. Anudike-Uzomah is relentless in pursuit irrespective of the place he’s on the sector and equally combative on the level of assault. His aggressive toughness is obvious in each play. In the meantime, he gives a stage of versatility, having performed together with his hand within the floor and stood up, and from a number of alignments on the defensive entrance.
Anudike-Uzomah’s areas of enchancment
Along with his mixture of athleticism, physicality, and relentless motor, Anudike-Uzomah has the talent set to match his spectacular sophomore manufacturing as a 2023 NFL Draft prospect. Nevertheless, there are some areas for enchancment which may halt his ascent to the higher echelons of the category. Fortunately for the Kansas State edge rusher, these are largely coachable factors that he can exhibit growth on this 12 months and past.
Within the video games studied, it was uncommon to see Anudike-Uzomah put collectively a radical pass-rush plan. Whereas he has a number of weapons in his armory, Anudike-Uzomah doesn’t routinely piece them collectively to pose an unstoppable pass-rush risk. Studying the best way to string strikes collectively and understanding which strikes will assist him overcome particular blocks, will solely heighten his efficiency as a move rusher. In the meantime, sustaining low pad stage whereas attempting to execute spin strikes will result in extra profitable execution of that exact transfer.
I used to be impressed by the Kansas State EDGE’s potential and energy within the run sport. However there’s room for growth right here.
At instances, Anudike-Uzomah will be ill-disciplined towards the run, taking a harmful “hit and hope” method to overcoming blockers that at finest proves unsuccessful and at worst derails the hole integrity of the protection. Taking a extra disciplined method will profit his sport considerably.
Though Anudike-Uzomah has a formidable athletic profile, there’s a component of concern there. Within the video games studied, he appeared to lack elite bend as a move rusher off the sting. Actually, of the few cases the place an offensive lineman managed to get him to the bottom, it was as he tried to bend across the exterior monitor. That lack of flexibility might weaken his worth within the eyes of NFL groups that covert bend off the sting.
Present draft projection for Kansas State EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
The joy is actual. The hype is justified. The expertise is tantalizing. Anudike-Uzomah has the power to grow to be a formidable all-around EDGE participant on this 2023 NFL Draft class. He has the bodily instruments to succeed on the NFL stage, and among the psychological attributes that contribute to top-level play are already evident in his sport.
This upcoming CFB season might be crucially vital for Anudike-Uzomah’s growth and subsequent elevation of his 2023 NFL Draft inventory. Would he be chosen within the first spherical if the draft was at the moment? Unlikely. However, Anudike-Uzomah has the potential to be a Day 1 starter within the NFL if he continues on his upward trajectory.
Whereas he gained’t problem Will Anderson Jr. or Clemson’s Myles Murphy proper on the prime of the category, don’t be stunned to see him proper behind chasing them come subsequent April.
