Video: Dallas Cowboys High Interest in Joseph Ossai | Joseph Ossai Draft Profile

[morasp]

I've been interested in him but he might go in the second round. He's the eighth best Edge rusher right after Joe Tryon 44th overall.

Overview
Former inside linebacker who has seen his stock rise quickly after a move to a more natural edge position. Ossai's draft grade will require a good deal of projection as he is still raw and inexperienced at his new position. His passion and go-go motor are the juice that fuels his desire to make plays, and his outstanding practice habits improve his chances for continuing to adjust quickly to his newfound positional home. He's long but has some hip tightness that limits his ability to hold the point of attack and bend the edge as a rusher. Ossai won't out-race tackles to the edge, but if a team can coach up his hands and add to his rush plan, he should turn into a solid pro as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Strengths

• Uses long arms to his advantage.
• Motor stays revved at all times.
• Rallies hard and fast to the football.
• Has ability to rush passer with a hand down or standing.
• Workable shoulder flip at the top of his rush.
• Lateral trigger quicks are tailor made for tackle-end twists.
• Activity level creates secondary sack opportunities.
• Flashed dangerous slide-and-swim inside move off the snap.
• Violent hitting style causes strip-sacks.
• Improved pad level and leverage at point of attack.
• Upward strike and arm extension when attacking tight ends.
• Starting to feel his potential for quick wins against run blocks.
• Will be around the ball and make plenty of tackles.

Sources Tell Us

"They will tell you in the building that this kid is just as non-stop in practice as he is in the game. There is no front there. He loves to ball and he's getting better quickly." -- Area scout for AFC team

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Not a fan.

Stiff as a board and doesn’t have an arsenal of pass rush moves.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Not a fan.

Stiff as a board and doesn’t have an arsenal of pass rush moves.

If you are ok spending a day 2 on a 3rd pass rusher, he could good in that context. I can see him being rookie Takk McKinley. Bursty, hair on fire guy that could do well with limited snaps and responsibilities

 

[morasp]

If you are ok spending a day 2 on a 3rd pass rusher, he could good in that context. I can see him being rookie Takk McKinley. Bursty, hair on fire guy that could do well with limited snaps and responsibilities

NFL Comparison
Takkarist McKinley

I think they could take a pass rusher in the first three rounds this year. They've also met with Roche and Turner. Orlando Scandrick thinks more pass rushers are the best way to improve the defense and he's a CB.

 

[AsthmaField]

I’m not really a fan of his although I do agree that he has some athleticism and is still an improving player.

I like him enough to maybe spend a third on him if he’s there. I just can’t see him being the best guy sitting at pick 44. IMO there will be better players available for Dallas in round 2.

Like I said, I’d consider him with the 3rd round compensatory pick maybe, but he will probably go before that.

 

[darthseinfeld]

NFL Comparison
Takkarist McKinley

Takk was productive when he was rotational/niche guy. 6 sacks in 400 snaps as a rookie. Once they made him a starter it was all downhill

 

[morasp]

Takk was productive when he was rotational/niche guy. 6 sacks in 400 snaps as a rookie. Once they madr him a starter it was all downhill

The thing I like about Ossai is his love of the game. I remember an interview with Crawford when they asked him about Lawrence and he said Lawrence will get there, he's hungry.

 

[darthseinfeld]

NFL Comparison
Takkarist McKinley

I think they could take a pass rusher in the first three rounds this year. They've also met with Roche and Turner. Orlando Scandrick thinks more pass rushers are the best way to improve the defense and he's a CB.

I really like Turner. Quinn uses a 4T alot, and Turner can develop who can play there and a traditional DE spot.

He needs some work, but he is a better player than Armstrong is right now

 

[morasp]

I really like Turner. Quinn uses a 4T alot, and Turner can develop who can play there and a traditional DE spot.

He needs some work, but he is a better player than Armstrong is right now

He's my favorite round three edge rusher.

 

[Bowdown27]

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Ossai isn't a third round pick IMO. He may not make it out of the 1st round. He just ran a 4.65 and posted a 41.5 vert at his Pro Day.

 

[morasp]

Most of the edge guys in the draft will take a year or two to develop. Even guys like Ojulari and Phillips need to improve their pass rush technique. Chase young had 7.5 sacks last year though he did get 10 TFLs and 12 hits. A lot of folks talk about Rousseau's lack of pass rush moves but he was a freshman and then opted out but still had production. The thing the evaluators will have to decide is does the kid have the desire to put in the work or will he quit.

 

[Cowboyny]

I think many are forgetting about the need for a third pass rusher. Team was set to take chassion last yr, until ceedee fell in their laps. 2nd round appears to be the sweet spot to land one

 

[Creeper]

NFL Comparison
Takkarist McKinley

I think they could take a pass rusher in the first three rounds this year. They've also met with Roche and Turner. Orlando Scandrick thinks more pass rushers are the best way to improve the defense and he's a CB.

The need a pass rusher in the middle. But more importantly, they need CBs just because they will be losing 3 in the last 2 years to free agency.

 

[morasp]

The need a pass rusher in the middle. But more importantly, they need CBs just because they will be losing 3 in the last 2 years to free agency.

The top guys that could blow up the middle would be Barmore first and foremost followed by Levi Onwuzurike, and Nixon would be third. I was watching some highlights this morning and really liked what I saw from Chris Rumph. The announcer was saying Duke lets him move around on the DL and pick his matchup. He would need to improve his play strength but an offseason should help that and he had some amazing production in three years at Duke with 33 TFLs, 17.5 sacks, and 2 FR.



CBs are deeper than usual this year. We need more turnovers so like last year when we replaced jones with Diggs who had three interceptions as a rookie I'd like to replace them with some ballhawks. I really like Paulson Adebo who is a ball hawk with four interceptions in each of his last two seasons, Robert Rochell is a 12 takeaway ballhawk from a smaller school, and Shakur Brown would be a nice slot guy and had five picks last year.

 

[805BoysInBlue]

His twin is already on the roster, his names Dorance Armstrong.

 

[cnuball21]

Not a fan.

Stiff as a board and doesn’t have an arsenal of pass rush moves.

Nope. I don’t understand why he’s being touted as an Edge guy either? Dude played LBr and rushed the QB at times.

If you’re drafting him as an edge he’s a complete project. If you’re drafting him as a LBr I’m not sure he’s athletic enough to be a 3 down guy.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Nope. I don’t understand why he’s being touted as an Edge guy either? Dude played LBr and rushed the QB at times.

If you’re drafting him as an edge he’s a complete project. If you’re drafting him as a LBr I’m not sure he’s athletic enough to be a 3 down guy.

Have you watched this guy?

 

[Hardline]

He's a borderline late first rounder.
I seen his entire college career and the guy is a Monster.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

He's a borderline late first rounder.
I seen his entire college career and the guy is a Monster.

To me, the book on Ossai is if he can get with a DL coach who can teach him to come off the ball. I think a lot of casual fans don't really know his story. He has so little experience, in comparison to a lot of these guys that fans don't know he's really only played a short time. If you watch this guy, he really became a monster when he was moved to the DL. Now, that is also part of the reason he isn't good off the snap. Watch him on film and you will see, he is always the last guy to move on the snap. By the time he comes off the ball, the T is already in his set and ready to engage the block. This makes it that much harder to beat the block but this guy, he is so athletically gifted that he still beats blocks. Imagine if he actually learned to come off the ball at the snap the way his physical abilities would allow him to if he were coached up. This guy is cat quick once he goes. He hasn't learned to bend nearly as well as he will, he hasn't learned to use his hands nearly as well as he could, he hasn't learned to use counters or set up blockers yet. He can come off the ball from both sides, he runs and chases as well as anybody in this draft. This guy is a beast in the making if you can teach him how to do those basic things IMO. His upside is off the charts but you have to give him time to develop and learn. If you can do that, he's probably the best edge guy in this draft IMO, but he can also get out and cover for you better then any of these guys. He started at LB. Thats a dimension that nobody is talking about right now but it should be.