From now until the 2020 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#33/Sewo Olonilua/RB/TCU/6’3”, 232 Lbs
The Good
-Quick, powerful feet that allows him to glide across the field
-Serious burst to his game, especially in tight quarters
-Rocked-up, well-built frame to handle heavy workload
-Change of direction skills are well above average for height and weight
-Contact balance is very impressive; footwork is arguably best in class at his position
-Possesses elusive ability that will catch defenders off guard
-Physical freak that dominated weight room at TCU; translates power and explosion to field with ease
The Bad
-Willing pass blocker but needs to develop hand usage in that area; will stun defenders with body blow, but needs to pack punch with hands
-Limited route runner out of the backfield but flashes great hands when thrown to
-A bit of a ‘tweener; some evaluators view him as a FB at the next level; where can he thrive and in what role?
-More power than speed; won’t rip off true home runs in pads
-Split carries throughout career, can he handle true No. 1 workload on a week-to-week basis in the pros?
Bio:
-Named 2018 Cheez It Bowl MVP in win over California
-Played 100 percent of TCU’s games during his career (appearing on offense or special teams); one of just 8 RBs in
2020 draft class to accomplish such a feat
-Finished four-year career with 348 carries for 1,624 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns; added 60 receptions for 383 yards and 1 touchdown; added 9 kick returns for 177 yards
-Arrested in May 2019 on two drug charges
-Squatted 705 pounds and benched 425 pounds while at TCU; clocked a 4.49 40 in summer training session
Tape Breakdown
Every year during the lead-up to the NFL Draft, analysts search for that diamond in the rough that they can hang their hat on as a “sleeper” of sorts. For me, I know we’re super early in the process, but I think I’ve found him.
Texas Christian running back Sewo Olonilua has everything you want out of the position, combing a powerful, rocked-up frame with incredible footwork and short-area quickness.
Watching his film that spanned over two years, I came away with serious Le’Veon Bell vibes looking at Olonilua.
Standing 6-feet-2, Olonilua glides all over the field and has some absurd change of direction skills for a man of his size and weight.
Against Purdue in 2019, Olonilua really started to give me Bell vibes with his running style. He wastes no movement with his feet, which allows him to force missed tackles with ease.
It’s the suddenness in his feet, and the ability to start and stop in a hurry that really draws me in. He makes it look so easy.
His feet are a blur and that allows him to change directions quickly and burst into holes. Once in the hole, he has really good contact balance to stay upright as defenders bounce off of him.
In the 2018 Cheez It Bowl against California, the Golden Bears’ defense had no answer for him.
He won’t hit many home runs in the pros, but he’ll give you some splash plays with his legs.
While he has some patience to his game, what I really like about his overall style is his decisiveness. Usually he chooses the right hole and hits it with speed and power. It will shock defenders who aren’t ready for it.
That vision is pretty darn good too.
While he is a power back, he has great eyes in the backfield and finds little gaps and slivers to shoot through with impressive burst for his size.
His ability to change direction without losing speed or balance is pretty rare in this class.
Oddly enough though, some teams see him as a fullback. Fortunately for Olonilua, he packs serious power into his blocks when utilized as a lead blocker.
I’d like to see him use his hands more as a run blocker and a pass blocker, but when you can stun a defender like this with a shoulder to the chest, I’ll take that in space.
Final thoughts on Olonilua: I’m hoping he gets an invite to the Combine so he can show people just how explosive he is. He’s a physical freak that dominates in the weight room, and that strength and explosiveness translates quite well to the field for the TCU back.
His hands are above average for the position and he has real ability to make defenders miss in space. I think he’s probably one of the most underrated backs in this draft class. He’ll get pushed down the draft board due to the depth, but whomever calls his number on draft day is getting an absolute steal that will produce right away.
Projection: Early Day 3
Games Watched: Ohio State (2018), California (2018), Purdue (2019), West Virginia (2019)
