NFL Analysis
4/26/24
4 min read
Ruke Orhorhoro 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Atlanta Falcons DL
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Ruke Orhorhoro.
Ruke Orhorhoro's 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 294
- 40-yard dash:4.89
- 10-yard split: 1.67
- 20-yard shuttle: DNP
- Vertical jump: 32"
- Broad jump: 9'8"
- Arm length: 34"
Ruke Orhorhoro 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Long and naturally athletic. Sudden with some quick twitch to his movement. Can shoot gaps and rush the QB.
- Excellent quickness off the ball vertically and laterally, with strong pop and power in his hands to gain control.
- Showed control and displaced strength and power in the run game. Arm extension to make plays at the POA.
- Pass rush snaps in which he converted strength to power, pushing back interior OL and squeezing the pocket.
- Showed short-area lateral quickness as an inside pass rusher attacking OG's outside shoulder and then countering inside.
- Pass rush snaps in which he played off contact with effective hand usage to clear OG and get into the pocket.
- Strong hands overall as an inside pass rusher, displacing interior OL and clearing the cylinder to rush the QB.
- Played with good balance, body control and the strength to finish. For a big man, he played like an athlete.
- 2023 – Played with range in the run game, working down LOS to make tackles. Covered ground fluidly and easily.
- Worked effectively in the run game when lined up inside in Clemson 5 man fronts, Gap exchanges and stunts
- Showed bull rush power to win leverage game early and drive back interior OL into the pocket. He has explosive power.
- Flashed effective club swipe move as inside rusher with balance and body control to close with burst to QB.
WEAKNESSES
- Much more of a straight-line linear athlete than a quick, sudden mover. Did not show much lateral quickness.
- More effective inside as a pass rusher than outside as a 9 technique. Suddenness is much more that of a DT than DE.
- Struggled to win one-on-one as a pass rusher. Did not show any meaningful plan-ability to play off initial contact.
- Needs many more tools in his toolbox as an inside pass rusher. Relied almost exclusively on his size and power.
- Overall, at this point not a quality pass rusher from any alignment. Needs much to develop pass rush toolbox.
NFL TRANSITION
Orhorhoro is an interesting projection to the next level, given his desirable combination of size, power, plus athleticism and versatility to play almost every position along the defensive front. He is an athletic, strong, alignment-versatile DL.
He lacks the kind of elite quickness, re-direct and change of direction that you would ideally like to see, and it is one reason he does not make many impact plays, but his size, length and confined space short-stroke power are starting points as he gains more experience and develops.
The initial question is where Orhorhoro fits best as you transition him to the NFL since he must start somewhere along the defensive front. Given his traits profile, that may not be an easy answer. Orhorhoro does not possess the off-the-ball quickness and gap penetration explosiveness to be a 3-technique in a four-man even front.
My sense is that he would best profile as a 4i or straight 4-technique in a five-man base defensive front, but he is not yet ready to play in sub-fronts as an inside pass rusher. Given his strong traits profile, much of the projection with Orhorhoro is what you believe he can become with coaching, development and experience because his tape tells you it is there in his body.
You have seen flashes and snapshots of it, especially from a pass-rush perspective.
OTHER NOTES
Orhorhoro was born in Nigeria. He came to the United States when he was 9 years old and played high school
football in Michigan (only two years), coming to Clemson with limited experience.
In 2022, Orhorhoro lined up at 3-technique, 2-technique, 1-technique and 0-technique in Clemson’s multiple
front alignments. There were some sub-front snaps in which he lined up at DE, including wide 9.
In 2023, Orhorhoro lined up in multiple positions along Clemson’s defensive front depending on personnel and the front alignment. He predominantly lined up inside at 3-technique and 4i in Clemson’s five-man front but also some snaps at 0-technique. On third down, Orhorhoro was predominantly featured as a 3-technique pass rusher.
