NFL Draft
2/20/25
5 min read
Ajani Cornelius 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Oregon Ducks OL
Height: 6050 (unofficial)
Weight: 315lbs (unofficial)
Year: Redshirt Senior
Pro Comparison: Isaiah Prince
Scouting Overview
Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius has the requisite size for playing tackle at the NFL level, but his projection is complicated due to some of the technical and athletic restrictions that manifest in his game.
Cornelius struggles with leverage and pad level due to subpar bend and flexibility throughout his frame. Those issues are compounded by modest foot speed, which often leaves his edges exposed for rushers to play through. He can be overactive to the first pass-rush counter and move himself into a compromised position.
He has the mass to engulf smaller defenders in the run game, but he must be vigilant with his discipline when opponents look to run out of his gravitational pull to ensure he’s not putting himself at risk of penalties.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Possesses prototypical stature and length to play offensive tackle in the league
- Does showcase the ability to create displacement in the run game
- Showcases good grip strength in latch opportunities
Negatives
- Punch power and knockback issues allow too many pass rushers to run straight through his strike zone with minimal offset
- Struggles with pass set framing, and his foot speed cuts down on mirror ability when playing in isolation on the edge
- Penalties are a major concern — called for 25 total penalties (2 declined) in his last three seasons as a starter
Background
Cornelius is from Harlem, NY, and played high school football at Archbishop Stepinac HS. There, he was a team captain and leader who was unranked at the high school level. Cornelius received recruiting interest from smaller programs like Morgan State, Bryant, Howard, Hampton, and Delaware State before enrolling at Rhode Island for the start of his college career.
His Rhode Island debut came in the spring of 2021, the COVID-19 season’s spring season at the FCS level. He played two dozen snaps against Delaware and then started all 11 games the program played in the fall of 2021 as a freshman at right tackle. Cornelius maintained his starting role in 2022 as a sophomore — he was named First Team All-Conference while allowing just six pressures.
After his sophomore season in 2022, Cornelius entered the transfer portal as a 3-star transfer (247 Sports) and landed with the Oregon Ducks. There, he immediately assumed a starting role at right tackle and was named Honorable Mention All-PAC 12 in 2023 as a 14-game starter. Cornelius was back at his post for one final season of play in 2024.
Tale Of The Tape
Cornelius has the look of an NFL offensive tackle. He’s built properly with good density throughout his trunk and lower body. He possesses the reach and wingspan necessary to play outside of his chest and potentially steepen angles for pass rushers on the edge. His stature is a foundation that can be worked with as a potential developmental target for coaches, but some of his physical restrictions in functional athleticism create conflicts that make him a challenging projection.
His foot speed is modest to play on the edge, and he can be overactive to a rush counter early in reps. This allows him to be manipulated too easily by rushers and stresses his recovery ability. As such, his discipline will need to be top-notch to be a consistent pass protector on the edge with his framing. His challenges also include irregular punch timing and power, which can let rushers into his chest and roll his pads up for lost power and anchor.
His punch power and hand timing are only going to be more amplified if he’s converted and playing inside, so each coach and system will have to negotiate the pros and cons. His foot speed and framing would be much better protected on the interior, but you’ll need to be vigilant in coaching up his hands to ensure these free runs through his strike zone aren’t just being delivered with a more direct path to the quarterback.
In the run game, Cornelius does show appeal in a number of ways. He has good grip strength when he does set his hands, and he can envelop defenders at the point of attack if he fires off the ball and gets them deep into his frame. His displacement ability is more consistent on angular down blocks than on vertical drive blocks off the line on account of his leg drive speed and his natural leverage as a tighter-framed lineman.
Cornelius’ background as a modest-roots recruit shows on his film with his athletic profile. Accordingly, he will have to develop into a refined technician to garner playing time and sustain a place on a 53-man roster.
Teams that do not charge their tackles with playing on islands in the dropback passing game and play more 12 personnel could find more upside to playing him at tackle where he is afforded more bumpers and added help on the edge.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Cornelius projects as a developmental offensive tackle. He possesses the raw physical attributes necessary to play offensive tackle in the NFL, but his movement economy, punch power, and framing in pass protection all need further development before he’s ready to see the field.
Grade: 69.50/100.00, Sixth Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
Make sure to check out our new home for all of our NFL Draft content.
