David Ojabo’s injury shouldn’t dissuade the Philadelphia Eagles

On Friday at the University of Michigan’s Pro Day, David OJabo went down, clutching his left leg during a pass rusher drill, and was helped off the field by trainers, according to Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com.

Why, you may ask, is this relevant to the Philadelphia Eagles? Well, if you’ve been keeping up on the rumblings around the Eagles’ draft interests, you’ve certainly heard Ojabo’s name linked to Howie Roseman, with ESPN’s Dan Graziano calling him the “the kind of guy the Philadelphia Eagles like to draft.” Had the collegiate Wolverine remained healthy, showed out at his Pro Day, and improved on his solid showing at the combine, there’s a chance Ojabo might not have even made it to pick 15, but now? Assuming this injury is more than just a short-term problem? Well, Ojabo might find himself with a Sidney Jones-esque problem, dropping from a Top-15 player to a Day 2 lottery ticket.

… Or maybe not. I mean, think about it, the Eagles have three draft picks almost right in a row at 15, 16, and 19 and need nothing more than long-term building block-type players. If they like Ojabo that much, why would they let something like a torn ACL dissuade his selection at pick 19?

If you were looking for the Philadelphia Eagles to draft three immediate contributors, then this might not be your favorite idea, but with four Pro Bowlers already on their roster and Fletcher Cox potentially on his way back, the idea of “stashing” a player like David OJabo on IR to learn the ropes from Brandon Graham and company before bursting out onto the field for a redshirt rookie season might be incredibly intriguing for Howie Roseman and company.

The Philadelphia Eagles are well-positioned to weather a pre-draft Ojabo injury.

Heading into Michigan’s Pro Day, there was a lot to like about David Ojabo.

Despite only appearing in 20 games for the Wolverines over his run in Ann Arbor, Ojabo burst onto the scene in a major way for Jim Harbaugh’s squad in 2021, racking up 35 total tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, three passes defended, and five(!) forced fumbles over Michigan’s 13 game romp through the Big Ten Conference. Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Ojabo looked fast, fluid, and forceful off the edge and consistently found ways to get past would-be blockers with a unique blend of speed and power from the 3-4 outside linebacker spot.

At the Combine, Ojabo followed up his junior season with a fantastic showing that was comparable to fellow first-round draftees Marcus Davenport and Josh Allen, headlined by a 4.55 40 yard dash that ranked in the 95th percentile and a 122-inch broad jump that ranked in the 83rd percentile according to Mockdraftable.

After having pretty darn good success with the Michigan rusher who wore the number 55, why not double down on the maize and blue and secure another 10-year contributor from the Ann Arbor pipeline?

Now granted, to most teams, watching Ojabo drop down to the turf in pain at Michigan’s Pro Day will unquestionably affect his draft stock to some degree. Typically, teams expect position players they draft in the first round to contribute at least somewhat right out of the gate, even if they can’t immediately win a starting role. If two players are close, one being fully healthy might just be the deciding factor in a GM’s decision-making, even if the calculus might be different if both players were 100 percent good to go.

The Eagles, at least in 2022, might be the rare exception to that rule and could opt to invest in Ojabo with one of their “free” first-round picks acquired via either the Miami Dolphins or the Indianapolis Colts. While some might quibble with the decision to make Ojabo the 15th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, selecting him 16th wouldn’t be all that bad or even 19th if Roseman has it on good authority that the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints – or whoever ends up picking at those spots – aren’t interested in the Michigan edge rusher.

If that happens, the immediate return might be underwhelming, but when you consider Bucky Brooks had Ojabo going 7th overall in his March 1st mock draft, and a draft class can’t really be graded until three, or even four years later, playing the long game with a first-round pick, especially with two more on the books, could prove to be Howie Roseman’s best bet, assuming he’s able to return to 100 percent, which Sidney Jones was unfortunately never quite able to do.

Who knows, maybe David Ojabo’s injury will prove minor, and he’ll be fully healthy in time for draft day, let alone organized team activities. Maybe his stock will rise back up, and he’ll be off the board before the Philadelphia Eagles go on the clock 15th overall. But if things take a darker turn and Ojabo’s season will instead be spent on the sidelines in street clothes, don’t discount Howie Roseman’s interest in the Michigan edge rusher, as his team can afford to weather a redshirt year better than most.