David Ojabo Is Gambling With Damaged Goods
April 11th, 2022
Achilles injury.
Joe is a big fan of CBS and NFL Network analyst Charles Davis. But over the weekend, Joe had to shake his head at a Davis prediction.
Davis has his mock draft/guessing game and there was a show on NFL Network based on his mock. He has the Bucs taking Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo at No. 27.
There is a hitch here, however. Ojabo blew out his Achilles at Michigan’s Pro Day last month. Doctors claim he can bounce back as quickly as Cam Akers did with the Rams, a six-month rehab. Joe thinks that is wishful thinking at best. What Akers did is more a medical miracle than the norm.
During the broadcast on NFL Network, noted Rondé Barber/Bucs hater and Eaglesgirl, fetching host Colleen Wolfe, yelped in glee how Davis picked the Bucs to select “David Ojabo to play opposite Shaquille Barrett!”
Apparently, Wolfe needs to be brought up to speed on a couple of items. It seems Wolfe isn’t aware of who the Bucs selected in the first round last year, that would be edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Additionally, someone needs to inform her Ojabo likely isn’t playing anywhere this fall as he rehabs his blown Achilles.
Joe really, really doesn’t like this selection (in the first round). The Bucs are trying to win a Super Bowl. Shouldn’t the Bucs be trying to get a guy who can have an impact this year?
Otherwise, why not trade the pick for a live body who already has demonstrated he can get on the field?
If this Ojabo somehow fell to the Bucs at No. 60 it would be easier to swallow than at No. 27. Remember, rookie edge rushers rarely have a major impact. So with Ojabo unlikely to take a snap this year, his rookie year will technically be in 2023, so it would probably not be until 2024 before Ojabo would have any sort of measurable impact.
(Yeah, it is cool to think of Ojabo and JTS and Shaq together terrorizing quarterbacks.)
Bucs fans have first-hand knowledge of what a blown Achilles can do to a player. O.J. Howard looked like he was going to have a helluva 2020 until he tore his Achilles in the fourth game against the Chargers. When he tried to return last season, he was a shell of his former self.
For Joe, with so much on the line this fall, rolling the dice on a damaged-goods guy in the first round is way too much of a gamble.
Second round? Maybe.
Third round? Sure.
First round? No.
Drafting a dude with a blown Achilles at No. 27 smells too much like guitar-strummin,’ gun-totin’ Da’Quan Bowers and his bad knee.
Before his Achilles injury, Ojabo was a total gamewrecker. After? Who knows?
April 11th, 2022 at 12:27 am
I was almost trying to talk myself into this pick based on long term potential until Joe mentioned Bowers. Equating a draft pick to Da’Quan Bowers is like inserting snippets of Roseanne Barr into good adult rated film.
April 11th, 2022 at 12:37 am
agree completely with Joe on this, we are win now mode, not future and this guy may not even rehab ever to 100%–no guarantee. Hard pass!
April 11th, 2022 at 12:38 am
He will fall into the second round. Perhaps even to us. No one’s drafting this guy in the first round. There will be some edge guys left and certainly DTs. And corners. All without substantial injuries. The kid is young so he should probably recover just fine, but even still he doesn’t have great experience in general. Easy pass in the first round.
April 11th, 2022 at 12:39 am
Joe–lots of new drafts suggesting cornerback kair elam–your take? I say a preliminary no and trade down and then pick up corner in second round
April 11th, 2022 at 12:42 am
No thanks. That is a pic not worth anything for a couple years. It takes most edge rushers two years without an Achilles injury to recover from. If you’re not getting one of the big three at edge (I include Travon) then go with DT
April 11th, 2022 at 12:49 am
Yeah, no… we need as close to sure things as we can find in this draft. Blown achilles does not fit the equation.
April 11th, 2022 at 12:58 am
We already have enough players (Vita, Carlton, & Chris) manning key positions that are injury prone, so hell no to this dude unless he’s there after round three.
April 11th, 2022 at 1:12 am
Nah, I’m sure he’ll be fine, but immediately, before Joe mentioned him, I thought of OJ and that’s a hard no for me. I wouldn’t even consider him until the 4th round, but I’m sure by then he’ll be long gone. I’m liking the prospect of CB first round and then DT second round. I think there’s some solid value going that route.
April 11th, 2022 at 1:58 am
I completely agree with Joe. I wasn’t for taking JTS in the first last year either. First round needs to make an immediate impact unless it’s the best available at a deep position. Gamble in the third round unless it’s a potential Hof.
April 11th, 2022 at 3:57 am
That kid isn’t playing this year.
April 11th, 2022 at 4:53 am
After reading what Walter Football says about him, I’d take a gamble as high as Rnd 2 IF we know BOTH Suh & JPP are coming back and IF we’d already picked up a DT in Rnd 1. Otherwise, take him in Rnd 3 IF he lasts that long. Here’s their write-up:
‘Unfortunately for Ojabo, he tore his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day. That injury could cost him – alongside a lot of money – his rookie season and will cause him to slide to the second day of the draft, at the highest. Ojabo could end up being a third-round pick. The highest he could possibly hope to go would be the second round, and he could slide to the fourth round. Once Ojabo gets back to his pre-injury form, he looks like a future starter in the NFL with the potential to be a dangerous quarterback hunter.
Player Comparison: Chandler Jones. From a skill-set perspective, Ojabo kind of reminds me of Jones. Jones (6-5, 265) and Ojabo are similarly sized, and Ojabo will probably top out around Jones’ weight. Both are fast edge rushers with developed strength to defend the run. Jones went in the back of the first round in 2012, and Ojabo could’ve gone in that range before hi injury. If Ojabo turns into a good pro, I could see him being a similar style player to Jones.’
April 11th, 2022 at 6:37 am
Agree Joe. Bucs need impact players at both picks 1 and 2, IMO. Take him if he lasts to the 3rd. Not worth the gamble.
April 11th, 2022 at 6:50 am
Bucs can’t afford to make project picks this year. They only have four picks in the first six rounds. If Wyatt or Davis don’t fall Licht should do everything he can to trade back and get some extra picks in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th rounds.
April 11th, 2022 at 6:55 am
Second round is still to rich. I still like the Trask pick, but this year if we’re going to overcome the Rams we need our first, and second round picks to contribute. We don’t have the luxury of using that pick for the future.
April 11th, 2022 at 7:48 am
Agree , pass
April 11th, 2022 at 8:07 am
If the teams can wait for the sixth round and the 199 pick for Brady then we can wait for this guy. GOBUCS!
April 11th, 2022 at 8:10 am
I agree that it is not a win now move, but let’s stop comparing everyone with an Achilles to OJ Howard. OJ Howard was never better than average. He has never dominated a defender with any consistency.
April 11th, 2022 at 8:17 am
Joe, totally agree on this one
Did a PFN mock draft simulation, and he was there in the 3rd round when I decided to finally take him.
A 2nd round pick probably makes sense for other teams, but not us.
April 11th, 2022 at 8:31 am
Using our first round pick on a player who won’t play next season does not fit the Bucs “win now” mantra…
No thanks. Not even in the second round.
April 11th, 2022 at 9:46 am
We tried this with Da’Quan Bowers. For those that don’t remember he was considered a top 5 top 10 pick the worst before he needed knee surgery before the draft. He slipped to us in the 2nd round and never really lived up to it.
That being said I am 100% for Taking Ojabo if he falls to us. He is an amazing talent worth a flier even if he busts. We would NEVER be able to take a player of this caliber sitting where we are sitting unless of injury so why not? If it works out he can add great depth to our OLB rotation.
April 11th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
Jeffrey Simmons, Tennessee Titans, #19 overall pick – serious knee injury carrying way more weignt than Ojabu. If he falls and DTs Wyatt or Jones is off the board, make the pick. Because if he does recovers, ala Cam Akers who runs the football, itwill just in time for the near playoffs, know that Shaq, JTS and Nelson, gonna be chasing QB’s a lot in the playofs
April 11th, 2022 at 5:50 pm
We’re drafting him. We seem to like drafting & signing players that come off serious injuries.
JACK CICHY
JAMAL DEAN
CHAPPELLE RUSSELL
JUST SIGNED KEANU NEAL
April 11th, 2022 at 11:37 pm
Tony Says:
April 11th, 2022 at 5:50 pm
Cichy was a 6th round pick. Low investment, decent special teamer.
Dean was a 3rd round pick and had recovered from his knee injuries and been a productive player. He has also not suffered further knee injuries.
Russell was a 7th round pick. Very low investment.
You forgot to mention Kendell Beckwith. Drafted in the 3rd round. Played well and looked great until the car wreck ended his career.
Neal, free agent, zero investment.
So what do we notice about these? None of them were drafted in round 1 or 2. So how do these examples mean we’re drafting the busted achilles guy in round 1?
April 12th, 2022 at 2:53 am
They don’t have to be drafted in the 1st round. Anybody can make it in any round. Look at Brady. He wasn’t a 1st rounder. He went 6th round. Doesn’t matter what round they’re drafted in. You never know if they will end up turning into a superstar at some point. Just very weird how they always seem to go after alot of the players coming off of major injuries or players that have dealt with major injuries. I was just being sarcastic about them drafting Ojabo since they seem to go after players like that with these injuries.