From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Washington LB Edefuan Ulofoshio.
#5 EDEFUAN ULOFOSHIO/LB WASHINGTON – 6004, 236 POUNDS (6TH-YEAR-SENIOR)
Senior Bowl
NFL Scouting Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Edefuan Ulofoshio | 6004/236 | 9 1/4 | 32 7/8 | 79 5/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.56 | 1.59 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’8″ | 39.5 | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Good, sturdy NFL frame
– Very good agility and short-area burst
– Overall athletic ability and speed allow him to play every down
– Good coverage skills; has the burst to click and close in zone and the speed to turn and run with receivers in man
– Can beat blocks with speed and burst, beating offensive linemen who struggle to move laterally
– Solid competitive toughness, plays to the whistle
– Solid technique and execution as a tackler
THE BAD
– Struggles to get off blocks, doesn’t engage with his upper body
– Overpursues gaps, taking himself out of plays
– Slow mental processing against the run, struggles to see the backfield
– Just adequate play strength, gets pushed around by bigger blockers
BIO
– Born in Anchorage, Alaska
– Originally a walk-on, played high school football at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas
– Turned 24 years old in January
– Sixth-year player (redshirt, COVID eligibility)
– Received his first three starts in his second season
– 27 total starts and 46 games played
– Missed much of 2021 due to a bicep injury
– Missed first eight games of 2022 with an ACL injury suffered in the offseason
– Finished strong with 15 starts, including the national championship game in 2023
– 2019 Academic Honor Roll
– 251 total tackles, 153 solo stops, 15 TFLs, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, eight passes defensed, one interception, and one defensive touchdown
– 2023 third-team All-American (AP)
– 2023 Butkus Award finalist
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Ulofoshio has the size to suggest he would hold up well against the run, but he is inconsistent with using his hands and lets defenders into his chest too often. Once a blocker is engaged with him, he hasn’t shown the ability to consistently shed those blocks and will get washed out of the play.
He prefers to win with quickness and trying to outmaneuver blockers. He has great burst and change of direction, which allow him to slip under blocks or cross faces to win with speed.
Sometimes that finesse isn’t a positive, as Ulofoshio is prone to taking himself out of plays. Sometimes he is trying to slip past blocks and ends up out of position. Other times he just overpursues his gap opening up large cutback lanes.
That athleticism suits him well in coverage where he has the burst to click and close on receivers in zone coverage and the straight-line speed to turn and run with receivers down the field.
When it comes to tackling, Ulofoshio wraps up well and has good technique. In the three games I watched, I didn’t see any missed tackles. Ulofoshio’s tackling ability and play strength show up here but are missing elsewhere. If a coach can help him engage with his arms and tap into his upper-body strength more, he could develop nicely into an every-down linebacker. Early on, he will be a special teamer and could be used on passing downs as a nickel linebacker.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Ulofoshio has a good skill set for coverage and could develop into a rotational nickel linebacker on passing downs. He will also be an impact special teamer with his athletic profile, his burst, and his sure tackling. If a coach can teach him how to use his length and his hands to stack and shed blockers, he has a chance at developing into an every-down linebacker, but as it stands right now, he will get washed against the run at the NFL level. My pro comparison for Ulofoshio is Darron Lee, though he is less refined coming out.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 – Backup/Special Teamer (5th Round)
Games Watched: Michigan (2023), vs Utah (2023), at USC (2023)
