Cardinals land edge rusher BJ Ojulari in 2nd round

The Arizona Cardinals selected LSU edge rusher BJ Ojulari in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 42nd overall.

Arizona bolsters its pass rush with the addition of Ojulari on Friday. The LSU pass-rusher arrives following the retirement of J.J. Watt and Zach Allen leaving in free agency this offseason.

The 6-foot-2, 248-pound Ojulari is the brother of Giants defender Azeez Ojulari. The Georgia native recorded 58 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks during his 2022 campaign. He led the Tigers with seven sacks and added 12 tackles for loss during his sophomore season in 2021.

The Cardinals selected offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the No. 6 overall pick on Thursday.

Pre-draft profile

Ojulari never lit up the stat sheet at LSU, with seven sacks being his personal best. Still, the belief that he can produce at the next level is an idea worth buying. There will be a fair bit of development needed as Ojulari lacks a counter or real pass-rush plan. However, he's got no shortage of moves in his arsenal. Ojulari's game revolves around his speed, as he uses his swiftness to get around the edge. He also flashes a nifty dip move. His hand usage needs polish, but he already shows the ability to chop and get tackles off balance. Ojulari's athleticism aids his inside move, which is hard to stop due to his quickness. Still just 21 years old, Ojulari has some time before hitting his physical peak, making his profile and tools an enticing purchase in the draft.