2023 NFL Draft: Felix Anudike-Uzomah - Kansas State Defensive End
Felix Anudike-Uzomah - Kansas State
Strengths:
1. Length - He has long and powerful arms and legs, and knows how to use them. His length stands out play after play, as he frequently gets his hands on the linemen first.
2. Motor - He never stops moving his legs throughout the duration of the play. He has long powerful strides, and frequently gains pressure even when his pass rush move is less effective otherwise.
3. Inside Moves from Outside Tackle - Anudike-Uzomah often wins one-on-one matchups. He is so dangerous because on top of decent bend, quick chops, and using length to win the outside, he may be even more effective cutting back through the B-gap. He has a hard punch with his outside hand, often his right from the right side, to then get straight line access to the quarterback. His pads typically stay low to where the offensive tackle steps laterally, allowing an opening inside if the guard or half back is not there to close it off.
Weaknesses:
1. Timing - He is a little slow off the line. Freezing many plays just after they begin often results in an image with his hand still in the dirt while his teammates are beginning their first stride. His lack of speed when he does release makes it look worse than it is at times, but this is a skill that he should be able to improve with practice.
2. Play Action - Felix consistently falls for play action. His hesitation significantly slows his pass rush, and completely mitigates his initial move.
3. Balance - He ends up on the ground, thus taking him out of plays far too often.
Grade: Mid First
Pro Comparison: Jermaine Johnson II
Johnson may have quicker feet and better change of direction, but Anudike-Uzomah uses length more effectively, has longer and more powerful strides, and wins one-on-one significantly more reliably. As a much younger prospect with room to grow physically, Felix Anudike-Uzomah is an overall superior and more complete prospect coming out.
Film Notes:
Oklahoma State (10/29/2022)
Penetration on inside through double. Subtle push-pull, with good arm movement and powerful steps. Good pad level. Got off block to make tackle in run game. Last off line. Consistent pad level. Doubled again. Excellent at shooting B-gap from inside. Great motor. Worked around guard with strength from leg drive. Last off line again. Doubled again. Scheme not conducive for success with three rushers nearly every play. Hand in dirt every play. Won the edge, but doubled again. Second time on the ground. Appears to have longer arms. Quarterback consistently had more time when Felix was out of the game. Violent hands, getting one to the chest of the tackle and chopping hard with the other. Doubled again. Pushes tackle back with one arm, but more upright that play. Last off line is a timing or reaction issue, not a burst issue. Used arms to get off slant block and gain penetration on inside run. Doubled again. Did not commit in one-on-one pass rush falling for the play action. Doubled on run play. Still late off the line with lower burst. Pushed right off offensive tackle using his long arms to get into backfield, which would not have happened in the NFL. Did not wrap up. Subtle push-pull to get around guard on run play, but doubled yet again. Good pad level. Great leg drive to angle through guard and gain pressure. Gets right by tackle, and picked up by running back for once again a double and still got to the ball carrier. Doubled by center and guard on poor bull attempt. Doubled again, but gets push on guard when tackle picks up blitz. Longer arms than tackle is noticeable. Slow off line again, but not too significant. Doubled on run. Late off line. Good burst. Won outside into pocket using both arms well and decent bend around the tackle. Awful footwork from two point stance as expected, with his false step putting his front leg behind center of gravity for initial push. Guard, tackle, and half back all block Felix on that play, yet he still gets a hand on the quarterback. Great motor and poor blocking. Drills back guard on bull. Powerful stunt, going through guard and halfback to get quick pressure. Did not lose speed on stunt, but also did not take sharp angle. Wins one-on-ones reliably with guard or tackle. Good use of length. Cut back inside to penetrate the pocket. Mediocre closing speed. Great burst off left leg on left side from three point stance. Doubled, but motor gets him through once again. Seems to have more burst from the left side. Three point stance from edge, great burst, quick swipe on tackle, beat double team for quick sack.
Alabama (12/31/2022)
Great use of length and leg drive. Pushed tackle back into quarterback without needing a ton of burst off the line. Slightly slower off the line. Lined up in three point stance from edge. Doubled on run play. Quick violent hands, but doubled on pass rush. Doubled again. Long powerful strides. Patient on inside run. Lost balance on bull and went straight to the dirt. Consistently slows down pass rush on play action across games. Picked up by three blockers. Good low pad level to accentuate length. Ends up on ground a lot. Man-handled by left tackle on run. Great burst from three point stance. Doubled initially on play. Locked by left guard. Awful footwork from two point stance with a false step with no power behind its original placement. Good swipe. Slow release, still doubled. Used length by putting his hand into the chest of the guard and draw uncalled hold. Got off block to make tackle. Awful footwork from two point stance again, bringing his front leg back on his first stride. Good quick hands to take the edge into the back of the pocket, but was held and ends up in the dirt again. Cleanly won cutting back inside, but a big time hold prevented pressure. Not great lateral footwork. Not winning one-on-one matchup from two point stance. Doubled again. On the ground again. Late off line, but doubled again. And doubled again on pass rush. Long powerful strides. Good pad level on bull to begin the rush from the left side.
Texas (11/05/2022)
Quick feet. Initiated contact with low pads to gain leverage on quick rip to penetrate. Slower off line than teammates. Uses jab before changing direction to cut inside very effectively. Doubled on run. Quick swipe to win edge on tackle, but slowed down to PA. Got bounced by opposing guard who he was not expecting. Sloppy footwork. Would have won cutting back inside if he had stayed lower when attempting to change direction. Did not budge double. Motored through triple to get a hand on the QB. Excellent initial low contact with great burst. On ground. Keeps legs churning for pressure up the middle. Doubled. Just incredible length. Quick swipes. Upper body technique off line could yield more power on initial step at times. Lost balance on pass rush. On ground yet again. Bounced off tackle into backfield with quick hands so easily. Great speed to power when committing and working in straight line. Fought through three blockers. Tripled again. Nearly took edge, but gaining balance would help his game tremendously. Excellent A-gap penetration to make tackle. Poor footwork from two point stance, as expected. Not redirected easily in run game. Unparalleled motor.
A-Gap - Not a nose tackle.
B-Gap - Does not have the size to play 3-tech, but there are reps throughout his tape where he wins on the inside.
4/5-Tech - Felix is a 4-3 defensive end. Although he is under 260lbs, his frame has room for more mass. He was built to be an end with his length and strength at his size.
Edge - Definitely not an edge rusher. He lacks straight line speed and burst off the line. Pair that with poor footwork out of a two point stance and less comfort using his length from the outside, and he simply does not win from the edge. He is a hand in dirt player, and 3-4 teams would likely have more success using him as a 5-tech than an edge despite his size.
Off-Ball - Not serviceable in the open field.
Attributes (Grade/10):
Attributes | Bend | 7 |
Burst | 7 | |
Motor | 10 |
Bend: Balance would do wonders to his bend. His angle may not be acute enough to elicit a 7/10 grade, but he wins around the outside frequently without propelling past the pocket.
Burst: He has shown decent burst, but quickness is by no means a strong part of his game. He does not win with speed and is slower than most to get off the line, but has a very strong first step. His delay off the line seems more of a reaction issue than anything.
Motor: His motor is unbelievable, always churning his legs through contact without wearing out throughout the duration of nearly every play.
Skillset | Pass Rush | 9 |
Run Defense | 7.5 | |
Coverage | NA |
Pass Rush: He wins one-on-one more frequently than not. His ability to use his length to win both on the inside and outside is unique. He has a great motor, but lacks a second pass rush move. He commits hard to his first move, but just tries to use strength if it does not work, frequently ending up on the ground as a result
Run Defense: Anudike-Uzomah gets off blocks well when he can maintain balance. His long arms help him extend for the tackle. Can gain penetration on slant blocks when not doubled or on the ground.
Coverage: Lined up as one of three defensive linemen frequently, and was rarely asked to drop back.
Hands | Placement | 8.5 |
Effectiveness | 9.5 | |
Quickness | 8 |
Placement: Usually gets his hand on the opponent's upper chest when he wants first and very effectively. His hand placement on quicker moves such as rips, push-pulls, and chops is more of a flail then a calculated decision. This category could be a 10/10 on several of his current moves, but he needs to be more reliable with his hand placement on his quicker moves as well as his bulls and jabs.
Effectiveness: His hands are very effective. This stems mostly from his length, but he is strong and quick with his arm movements as well.
Quickness: Violent and fast hands, but does not use speed as effectively as some of the more twitchy edge rushers.
Line Control | Strength | 8.5 |
Balance | 4.5 |
Strength: His strength at 256lbs is excellent, stemming mostly from his motor and leg drive. His play strength is seemingly greater, than his raw strength, bolstering this grade slightly. It is mainly held back because of his size. If he can gain some mass over the next few years, then this should shoot up quickly to a 9+/10.
Balance: Winds up on the ground far too often.
Pass-Rush Decisions | Versatility | 7 |
Technique | 6.5 | |
Execution | 8.5 |
Versatility: This grade is limited because he will likely be limited to a 4-3 defensive end. He does not have the size to play inside, nor the burst, footwork, or fluidity to play on the edge. While he is not scheme-proof, he has multiple effective pass-rush moves that he can use to win both cutting inside and taking the outside of the offensive tackle.
Technique: His hands and pad level are typically strong, but he does not have great pure technique in his pass rush. He often stays in extensions too long, and is not decisive with his moves. There is certainly room to grow, which is promising for his outlook because of the success that he has had without having to use great technique up to this point of his career.
Traits | Agility | 4.5 |
Athleticism | 7 | |
Length | 10 |
Agility: Lacks agility. Footwork, upper body suddenness, and lateral movements are all areas where he needs to improve.
Athleticism: Does not appear to be the best athlete at the position. He is not twitchy, but is strong for his size with room to grow. His 4.73 40 is not going to impress anyone, and his powerful strides along with very long arms contribute to success more than pure athleticism.
Full Report:
While not the twitchy athlete that typically goes in the first round at the position, his tape is simply impressive on nearly all fronts. When Felix Anudike-Uzomah is not doubled, he just wins over and over again. The scheme at Kansas State is not conducive to success or putting up impressive numbers. He lines up with his hand in dirt with only two other lineman and they do not frequently rush more than those three, leading to him getting doubled every other play. Move him to 4-3 defensive end, and he will absolutely wreak havoc. He can win up the middle, and is excellent around the outside despite his lack of burst that many of the other top tier athletes in the class seem to have. His tape makes him easily worthy of a first round grade. If the 21-year-old can put on 10-15 pounds, which his frame and build currently suggest that he could, then he could honestly become one of the best defensive ends in the league. That said, there is a lot to clean up. His footwork from a two point stance is awful through and through, consistently false stepping backwards to mitigate most of the power from his initial step. He also lacks a second pass rush move, and does not know exactly what to do with his hands after the initial contact. With a lack of twitch, his methods for winning at the line may not be as highly coveted by NFL teams. He runs a 4.73 40-yard-dash, and does not have the athletic 'upside' that is sought after in younger prospects. There is also a concern that the strength he brings on every play will be less effective in the NFL given his current weight. His motor will undoubtedly remain strong, but some of his more awkward angles when he fails to get his hands back up for a second move around the outside will just not work against superior competition. While his athleticism and burst are not up to par with some of the other elite edge prospects in this class, he has all the talent needed to become a successful every down defensive end for the NFL. He used his length better than anyone in class this past season, and his lack of production is misleading due to how often he was double-teamed. He is a 'high floor - high ceiling' prospect who can make an impact starting day one. His grade of a mid first speaks to not only the impact he can have as a pass rusher, but as a complete defensive end at the next level.
NFL Projection:
Most draft boards have him falling to the second round. He will likely become a 4-3 end, and win a starting job in training camp. If he can gain 10-15 pounds of mass, Anudike-Uzomah could easily become one of the better, more well-rounded defensive ends in the NFL.
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