Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has gotten off to a relatively slow start in the NFL thus far. After being selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, Okoronkwo suffered a foot injury early in offseason workouts, which sidelined him until November. Even after being activated from the PUP list, though, Okoronkwo remained inactive and didn’t see the field as a rookie.
As a result, he was forced to sit back and learn from his peers – the likes of Samson Ebukam, Dante Fowler Jr., Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. As much as he would’ve loved to be on the field in 2018, he was afforded the time to sit back and learn before taking the field.
This past season, Okoronkwo finally got on the field, appearing in 10 games. He had 1.5 sacks, six tackles (one for a loss) and four QB hits on only 115 snaps. He still has a lot of developing to do, but the key to success for him is finding a routine and learning from a player he looks up to.
“Got to find a routine and stay consistent. Find what works for you and don’t waver from it. And if it’s giving you success, then why stop it? If anything do more. But don’t do too much, don’t do anything you can’t. Find what works for you,” Okoronkwo said, via the Rams’ official site. “Find a guy that you admire, like a pro, like a Clay Matthews or an Aaron Donald. A guy like that who just is programmed to do the right thing, see how they do it. See what they do, see what works for them. It might not be what works for you, but just explore a bunch of different things. Because if I want to be successful, I’m going to ask somebody successful how to be successful. It’s not rocket science.”
Okoronkwo could have a bigger role in 2020, possibly getting a chance to be a starter. Fowler is set to be a free agent and while Clay Matthews is under contract, the Rams need cap space and he could be someone they part ways with to free up some money – although it’s unlikely.
Okoronkwo has the potential to be a successful pass rusher in the NFL, he just needs more opportunities and to get acclimated to rushing against bigger, better tackles than he did in college.