Former Texas Longhorns edge rusher was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Last season, the Bengals were 29th against the run and 32nd in sacks with 17. Carl Lawson led the team with 5.5 sacks and is now a member of the New York Jets.
While at Texas, Ossai showed great ability to defend the run and was one of the best run defending edge rushers in college football. He was a consistent blitzer against the pass to create pressure on the quarterback.
The only edge rushers on the Bengals depth chart ahead of Ossai are free agent signee Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Ossai is going to come into training camp as the immediate third edge on the depth chart and his skills and versatility will allow him to play on both sides of the defensive line.
Cincinnati runs plenty of defensive fronts and Ossai possesses the ability to play out on the edge as an outside linebacker or with his hand in the dirt as a pure 4-3 defensive end.
Hendrickson is the high-priced free agent coming into this season, so Ossai will primarily be competing for snaps with Sam Hubbard who will be a free agent in the 2022 offseason. Depending how Ossai plays as a rookie, he could be the full-time starter by the 2022-23 NFL season.