The Eagles added another young edge rusher to their pass-rushing rotation Monday, agreeing to terms with Azeez Ojulari to a one-year deal that will reunite the former Georgia standout with a handful of his old teammates.
Considering the departure of Josh Sweat in free agency and the uncertainty surrounding Brandon Graham’s future, Ojulari figures to get opportunities to make his mark with the Eagles as a pass rusher. The 26-year-old finished last season with 22 pressures according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked fourth on the New York Giants’ defensive line. He also had six sacks in just 11 games.
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To truly understand how the Eagles can expect Ojulari to fit into the team’s reworked edge rusher rotation, let’s look at his film rushing the passer from last season:
For starters
Given Ojulari’s athletic testing coming out of college, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his initial burst off the ball helps set up the rest of his game. At 6-foot-2, 249 pounds, Ojulari ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the 2021 NFL scouting combine with a 1.6-second 10-yard split that landed him in the 80th percentile among edge rushers according to mockdraftable.com.
Ojulari finished the Giants’ Week 6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with two sacks and six pressures, the latter of which were primarily set up by his ability to beat rookie right tackle Amarius Mims — another former Georgia Bulldog — off the ball and around the edge.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
It’s worth noting Mims struggled during his rookie season, illustrative of how late he was to get out of his stance for a pair of Ojulari’s six pressures in the game. But Ojulari could have easily managed another sack or two if not for some poor finishing on those pressures once he got to Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow, as shown below.
Ojulari did well to shed Mims’ late attempt to knock him off course, but didn’t get Burrow to the ground despite the relatively free rush.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
As for the two sacks themselves, Ojulari’s first came against a busted run-pass option play from the Bengals offense that left him unblocked off the edge. Isolated with Burrow in space, Ojulari was able to recover after a false step to get the All-Pro signal caller to the ground.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
The second sack featured the power that sometimes complements Ojulari’s speed off the ball; the edge rusher is capable of keeping offensive tackles off balance with his burst at the snap, but can also set up a variety of moves at the point of engagement to shed blockers effectively. After stressing Mims with a few steps upfield, Ojulari works an inside move in tandem with Giants defensive tackle Elijah Chatman (more on that later), taking advantage of Mims being off balance and out of position.
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Mims’ struggles in the game are hard to ignore, but Ojulari combining his explosiveness off the ball with power in the game offers a glimpse at the untapped potential he still has at this point in his career.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
Not all sacks are created equal
As is sometimes the case, a handful of Ojulari’s sacks were less instructive than the production might indicate. Against the Eagles in Week 7, his lone sack came as a result of solid coverage on the back end forcing Jalen Hurts to extend the play and try to evade the pocket.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
Somewhat predictably, Ojulari had a relatively quiet day against Eagles All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson. He had three pressures on 18 pass-rushing snaps, including one that demonstrates how effective he can be when running stunts with a defensive tackle.
Considering the level of attention defensive tackle Jalen Carter drew last year and the productivity he’s already shown running stunts with the Eagles’ current crop of edge rushers, Ojulari’s fourth-down pressure looping around Chatman should be an encouraging sign. Hurts was still able to find A.J. Brown for a pivotal touchdown pass on the play, but Ojulari’s rush at least necessitated a big-time throw from the quarterback in that situation.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
The next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ojulari had another two-sack performance. The first came against Broderick Jones, another struggling young right tackle from Georgia.
Still, Ojulari did well to finish with a sack against Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson after shedding Jones, who didn’t offer up much resistance to Ojulari working a push-pull rush move with an initial punch followed by him pulling Jones off balance.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
The second sack came against Steelers backup left tackle Calvin Anderson, a 28-year-old career reserve who has appeared in just nine games over the last two seasons. While the matchup offers important context, Ojulari utilizing a long-arm move to shed Anderson and finish with the sack still displays the array of pass-rush moves the young edge rusher has at his disposal.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
Hitting the ceiling
While there are plenty of high-level reps included here, Ojulari’s inability to reach his full potential four years into his career can be explained mostly by injuries and, to a lesser degree, a lack of consistency.
Ojulari has missed time in each of the last three seasons, making his rookie year the only full season he’s managed since getting taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
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He was used primarily as a designated pass-rusher with the Giants as well, playing just 189 snaps against the run compared to 202 against the pass and dropping into coverage on just six of those snaps, according to PFF.
For every productive rush Ojulari had last season, there were also examples where his initial burst off the line of scrimmage didn’t stress opposing tackles enough and he struggled to consistently work a secondary move to break free.
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
— EJ Smith backup (@EJbackup1994) March 18, 2025
Still, considering the reportedly affordable cap hit Ojulari will have next season, it’s hard to argue against the upside when he’s healthy. The Eagles needed to reinforce the edge rusher position and did just that with the former Georgia standout, who will have the opportunity to take the next step and cash in accordingly if he does so.
