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WITH THE 110TH PICK IN THE 2023 NFL DRAFT, THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS SELECT: ADETOMIWA ADEBAWORE, DEFENSIVE LINEMAN, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

 

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The Colts made yet another huge value pick at the beginning of Day 3 in Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore. The former Wildcat is one of the most unique players in the entire draft, and was valued by many pundits in Round 2.

 

 

The reasons for Adebawore’s uniqueness: Versatility and Athleticism in a rare frame.

The Nigerian-American Adebawore’s frame is a unicorn on the DL. He is only 6’1 282lbs, but despite his shorter height, he has 33.9″ arms. A rare blend of natural leverage combined with length is truly unique. However, he combines the benefits of his frame with his insane athleticism. With a RAS score of 9.72, his athleticism jumps off the screen both in testing and on film.

 

 

Adebawore’s 1st step acceleration shocks opposing OL on tape, and testing only confirmed it. A 4.49 40 with a 1.55 10 yard split are unheard of for a 282lb DT. Combine that with quick hips and his natural leverage and length, his athletic profile is truly in rare air. Over the last two decades of testing, no player weighing over 280 lbs at the combine has run a sub-4.5 second 40-yard-dash until Adebawore (4.49), per Next Gen Stats.

 

Another appealing aspect of Adetomiwa Adebawore’s profile is his positional versatility. He was asked to be everything from a 1T Nose Tackle to a 7T Edge rusher and everything in between. He believes his best position could be a 3T DT, though Colts could use him at strongside DE similar to Dayo Odeyingbo, Tyquan Lewis, and Denico Autry of yesteryear.

 

 

His versatility could be a double-edged sword as some question his fit as a bit of a tweener. Due to his versatility, he didn’t have as many snaps as many other DL in a set spot to evaluate. He still needs some development in his pass rush plan and move set, but the natural tools he has in his arsenal are astounding. With proper mentorship from DL coach Nate Ollie, Adebawore could be an outstanding addition to the rotation.

A reason for optimism in his development in the technical side of football: Adebawore’s constant high effort on tape. A relentless player with no quit on tape, he is willing to fight and run to the whistle. If he shows that relentless energy in learning the nuances of disengaging blockers, Adebawore’s ceiling is immense.

The fact that Adebawore fell to Round 4 was shocking. The Blue Stable Live Draft Reaction pair of Michael and Jay were expecting him to be drafted in late Round 1-early Round 2.

Getting him in Round 4? Astounding value for Ballard. He figures to add to the 3T DT rotation behind DeForest Buckner, competing with Free Agent Taven Bryan, 2nd year DT Eric Johnson II, veteran Tyquan Lewis, and 3rd year DL Dayo Odeyingbo; as well as get snaps at strong side DE with Dayo, Tyquan, Kwity Paye/Samson Ebukam (who can also be LEO DEs). His snap count might be limited with a crowded DL core in 2023, but he could continue to grow into a major threat in 2024 and beyond.

 

More from The Blue Stable:

Read more in our last draftee breakdown on the hometown cornerback, Julius Brents: HERE

 

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