Texas Football: Edge rusher Joseph Ossai could be next Danielle Hunter

We are now within roughly 12 hours of the start of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. And with a duo of former Texas football players that could each be taken off the board in the first round of the 2021 draft, there’s a lot of excitement about this event on the Forty Acres. Texas Exes haven’t found too much prominence in day one of the draft in the past decade.

This Longhorns football program is now going on a drought that could go longer than five years since there was a player that was a first-round pick. The last first-round draft pick among Texas Exes in the NFL was defensive tackle Malcom Brown, who was taken 32nd overall by the New England Patriots in 2015.

However, the two former Longhorns that are true candidates to be a first-round pick in the 2021 draft are former junior star outside linebacker/edge rusher Joseph Ossai and standout redshirt junior offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi. It’s hard to tell at the moment between Ossai and Cosmi who is projected to fall off draft boards first this year.

Either way, there is a shot for two former Longhorns to both be day one picks in the draft. That is big for this program, as it could be a sign of better future player development in the years ahead.

In particular, Ossai is one of the most exciting NFL prospects to come off the Forty Acres in recent memory. He’s got insane physical tools, a proven resume from his time with Texas, and the versatility and wherewithal in his game that could take his instincts to new heights in the NFL.

Prominent outlook in the NFL for former Texas football LB Joseph Ossai

The numbers speak for themselves in terms of the production that Ossai posted in his final year playing for Texas. In just nine games played last fall, Ossai registered a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 55 combined tackles, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

He was pretty productive throughout his entire career in general, though. In three years in total playing for Texas, Ossai racked up 165 career combined tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Ossai is known to be a very stout pass rusher and one that became a more sure tackler in his last season playing in college. His missed tackle rate was nearly cut in half between his sophomore and junior seasons. And adding to his 11.5 career sacks, Ossai had 19 quarterback hits and 42 hurries.

If the team that drafts him in the NFL expects him to drop back more in pass coverage, that is an area of Ossai’s game he will need to improve. That was about his biggest fault in his skill set in terms of what translates to the NFL. He did allow completions on more than 80 percent of the passes that were targeted at his coverage assignment in his career.

But the good news in this regard in terms of Ossai’s ability in pass coverage was that he never allowed a touchdown through the air on his assignment, and he registered two picks in the process.

At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, Ossai has the physical tools to fit in at the next level at either outside linebacker, defensive end, or as a true standup edge rusher. He’s got the speed and quick motor to set the edge and hold his own in stopping the run too.

In terms of the physical tools and overall skill set that Ossai brings to the table, he could be an impact linebacker that compares closely to the likes of Chandler Jones and Danielle Hunter. But the first name that comes to mind for me in the draft comparisons for Ossai is definitely Hunter.

The former LSU Tigers defensive end/edge rusher was a third-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 NFL Draft. Ironically Hunter was picked up by the Vikings in the same draft year that the Longhorns had their last first-round pick.

However, Hunter actually got in better shape heading into his draft scouting process more than five years ago. He came out in the draft at around 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, which is very similar to the frame that Ossai brings to the table. And both Ossai and Hunter were solid pass rushers in college that regularly blew up plays in the backfield and registered double-digit tackles for loss on a yearly basis.

Hunter himself has emerged as a real gem find for the Vikings in the last few years. He is now a two-time Pro Bowler that is a staple of their defensive line. If some team could find any level of similar value out of Ossai from this draft class, it would be an amazing find.

The first day of the 2021 NFL Draft is set to take place on the night of April 29 in Cleveland, OH. Texas could have a multitude of players selected in the first two days of the draft for the first time in more than a half-decade in this year’s class.