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See for yourself what makes Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah one of the top edge defender prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class
It’s officially NFL draft season, so it’s time to get to know the best players at every positions in the 2023 class.
What makes Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah one of this year’s top edge defender prospects?
Watch the tape and see for yourself:
The Browns rebuild the defensive line adding playmakers.
The defensive line for the Cleveland Browns needs a massive makeover as well as finding a way to make the offense more of a threat vertically. There are some nice veteran defensive linemen to raise the basement of the roster in free agency though wide receiver talent will need to come in the 2023 NFL Draft or via trade.
The Browns also need to look at the fact that they do not have a ton of draft assets in 2024 when evaluating possible trade-down and up scenarios. Let’s check out how they could fill all the major needs in this Browns mock draft with trades.
There is still a lack of wide receivers appearing in mock drafts.
With the NFL Scouting Combine just a few days away, the 2023 NFL Draft picture will continue to become a clearer picture for the Cleveland Browns and the other 31 teams around the league. The issue, however, with all of the mock drafts coming out right now is they continue to overlook the need for a new wide receiver in an offense that was in the bottom quarter of the league in explosive plays through the air. Only LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte appeared in mock drafts around different sites this week.
Here is this week’s edition of Browns Mock Draft Round-up as defensive ends and defensive tackles once again dominate.
Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
A team can never have enough talented pass rushers and the Green Bay Packers are in dire need of more playmakers off the edge.
With Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare the Packers have a solid trio on paper. Gary will likely miss the beginning of the upcoming season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Smith will be 31 in November and could be playing in his final season in Green Bay. Enagbare proved to be a solid rotational piece.
Add it all up and the Packers need to add an edge rusher or two this offseason. Luckily for the Packers, the 2023 NFL Draft is loaded with talented edge rushers.
A player that Brian Gutekunst could target on day two of the upcoming draft is Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The Kansas State edge rusher checks in at No. 67 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
During the 2021 season, Anudike-Uzomah recorded 50 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles.
This past season the Kansas State edge rusher earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after recording 46 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.
“It was a pretty up and down season numbers-wise for Felix,” Drew Galloway, the Kansas State reporter for On3.com said. “He was banged up a lot of the year and needed offseason surgery. He also faced a lot of double teams this season and was the focal point of opposing scouting reports. He was great against Texas Tech and had three sacks for the game. Most of his work this season actually didn’t show up in the stat sheet and came off of freeing up other players on the edge. His presence and ability to disrupt led to Brendan Mott having a career year in sacks. It was a good season for him especially when you consider he was hurt after the first week of the season and was pretty banged up most of the year.”
Anudike-Uzomah is solidly built with good length. The Kansas State edge rusher uses a powerful long arm to drive blockers backward. He has violent hands that jolt linemen and does a good job of converting speed to power.
“He has really powerful hands to go with a really good get-off,” Galloway said. “The play that went viral last season against Texas Tech causing the safety shows his strength and his get off. He also has a knack for making the big play when it’s needed. He destroyed Max Duggan in the Big 12 Championship Game on a third down play when K-State had all the momentum and it looked to be a massive play, but it ended up being wiped away because of a muffed punt.”
Anudike-Uzomah has a quick first step off the line of scrimmage and he’s absolutely relentless. He does a good job of using his length and active hands to keep himself free. He’s a bendy edge rusher and once he wins the corner he quickly closes on the quarterback with his long strides. He has a diverse pass-rush plan that keeps offensive tackles guessing. According to Pro Football Focus, Anudike-Uzomah recorded 89 pressures over the past two seasons.
“What makes him so relentless off the edge is his combination of strength and speed,” Galloway said. “He’s extremely quick off the edge and is just a lot faster than most tackles and plays really really hard.”
The Kansas State defensive lineman has the lateral quickness to slither around offensive linemen to make plays behind the line of scrimmage (25.5 tackles for loss the past two seasons). He has the short-area quickness and lateral quickness to chase down ball carriers. There are times when he can be bullied and knocked off balance.
“He’s pretty solid against the run,” Galloway said. “He’s really relentless and is really disruptive in the backfield against the run as well. He does have a tendency to sometimes be too aggressive in his run fits and that can lead to some longer runs.”
With his blend of size, strength, and initial quickness, Anduike-Uzomah could be the ideal long-term running mate for Gary in Green Bay. He’s a detailed pass rusher that has a knack for putting pressure on the quarterback.
“I don’t think he’s played his best football yet,” Galloway said. “He was just a two-star coming out of high school and didn’t have another FBS offer besides Kansas State. North Dakota State actually pulled his offer a few days before signing day and he was going to go to Missouri to be a regular student until K-State offered him. In his freshman year, he played in five games so he burned his redshirt while only really getting his feet wet. He’s gained almost 50 pounds since high school. He has a really big desire to win and succeed and always wants to be the best and wants to learn and grow. I’d also draft him because he’s a really fun and funny person to be around and was really fun to cover over the last three seasons.”
The Packers finished this past season with just 256 pressures, which ranked 26th in the league (PFF). They need to bolster their pass rush and Anudike-Uzomah can get after the quarterback with the best of them.
The Houston Texans grab a couple of pieces to bolster the passing attack while beefing up the defense in @johnhcrumpler’s latest 3-round mock.
The Houston Texans are still a few steps away from the 2023 NFL draft and finally cashing in on the excess draft capital from their 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns. A new coach will need to be hired and important decisions have to be made on how the team will use some of their available cap space. Regardless of any impending time, one look at fan comments at social media will show that fans are already thoroughly focused on the draft.
April’s projects as one of the biggest in franchise history with the opportunity to potentially select a franchise quarterback and three additional selections in the top-70 to provide desperately needed talent to one of the NFL’s worst rosters.
Draft season has barely begun and a lot will change in the upcoming months. The Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, NFL combine and, of course, individual pro days will play a huge part of re-shaping the board in the absence of additional games to watch. However, as a launch point, it’s still useful to think about who general manager Nick Caserio may draft if Roger Goodell took to the podium today.
Here’s an early prediction at a three-round Texans mock draft.
The Houston Texans find their long-term passing duo in Round 1 and grab Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah in Round 2 of the latest Draft Wire mock.
The Houston Texans may not have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but they can still give their roster a positive direction led by youth within the first 33 picks.
According to Luke Easterling from the Draft Wire, the Texans get passed over as the Chicago Bears deal the No. 1 overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts, who then use that move-up from No. 4 overall to select Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Of course, the Stroud selection does not hurt the Texans as they have been linked to Alabama’s Bryce Young since the summer. Houston takes Young with the No. 2 overall pick.
The Texans then use their No. 12 overall pick in Round 1 — obtained via a 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — to select TCU receiver Quentin Johnston.
After landing this year’s top quarterback prospect at No. 2, the Texans jump ahead of a division rival (likely for a mid-round pick) to land the best pass-catcher in this year’s draft. Instead of letting the equally WR-needy Titans have a shot and Johnston (and having to face him twice a year), the Texans give Bryce Young a massive target with tons of length, athleticism and big-play ability.
With the Texans having their passing duo of the future locked up, they then go to the second round to find another edge rusher to either complement or replace defensive end Jonathan Greenard, a former 2020 third-rounder who is entering the final year of his contract.
Houston takes Kansas State edge defender Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The 6-3, 252-pounder generated 8.5 sacks, 11.0 tackles for loss, 46 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, and a pass breakup through 14 games for the Wildcats in 2022.
Anudike-Uzomah would be able to help the Texans’ defense with its pass rush and edge setting, which would take down opposing offenses a notch — a helpful start for Young and Johnston as they forge their connection.
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The Vikings go edge rusher in the latest CBS Sports’ mock draft
The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is going to be a fascinating one, especially when it comes to how they attack the defense. They need a lot of work on all three levels of the unit but how they do that is still up in the air.
The latest mock draft from CBS Sports os a combined mock draft with their draft analysts and they have the Vikings attacking the defense by selecting Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Here is what they had to say about the talented edge rusher.
“Trapasso admitted that there was a lot of pressure being the mock Vikings general manager given Spielman’s past. Trapasso ended up going with Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and Spielman’s liked what he’s seen from the Kansas State edge rusher. “I do like this kid a lot. I thought he played hard. I went down and watched him; I wanted to see him against [Tyler] Steen, the Alabama left tackle. … When you put him outside the tackle, he can utilize his speed and his athletic skillset. And the kid plays hard. He was fun to watch because his motor was nonstop, so I’m not going to bash this pick because I like this player.”
Anudike-Uzoman is an explosive player that could make a real impact for the Vikings from the start. Is he the right edge rusher? That’s a question for another day, but he is certainly worthy of consideration in the first round.
5 Kansas State Wildcats that Alabama fans should know about.
It was announced on Sunday that the Alabama Crimson Tide would be facing the Big 12 champs, the Kansas State Wildcats in the 89th annual Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31.
While the disappointment may still be fresh on the mind of Alabama football fans about missing out on the College Football Playoffs, making it to a New Year’s six bowl game is nothing to hang your head about.
[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Crimson Tide now have just one more opportunity to show what this version of Alabama can do on the gridiron.
Since the Wildcats are not a traditional powerhouse and it’s likely that not many Alabama fans are familiar with their roster, I thought it was a good time for Tide fans to get to know some of Kansas State’s best players.
Let’s roll!
In the latest Draft Wire mock draft, the Browns landed Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the 39th overall pick.
As we are now into the colder weather, it means the 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner. With that being said, mock drafts are in full effect. And while the Cleveland Browns do not have a first round pick, they do have a top-40 pick at this point in the season. In The Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, the Browns took Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah with that selection.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, Anudike-Uzomah has racked up 7.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss through 10 games this season for the Wildcats. This is off of a 2021 campaign where he racked up a massive 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. It is still early, and defensive tackle is still a massive concern. However, with the departure of Jadeveon Clowney after the season, the Browns have needs elsewhere as well. Here, Anudike-Uzomah fills that defensive end need in Cleveland.
Three-play sequence to end the half vs. Missouri from Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Doesn't get a sack on any of these plays, but he's absolutely working the LT.
Brutal inside-outside combo with a rip to finish on the first rep. *Explosive* bull-rush. Violent swims. He's relentless. pic.twitter.com/y3ggckIjR8
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) September 12, 2022
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Oklahoma will need a solid performance from these five defensive players when they take on Kansas State.
Oklahoma’s Big 12 campaign gets underway under the lights Saturday night in what should be a competitive matchup. Oklahoma and Kansas State two have played each other fairly close over the last few years. Kansas State comes into the game on the heels of a loss while Oklahoma straps their pads up following a dismantling of their longtime rivals, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
In recent years, Kansas State felt like a lock to push the Sooners to the brink. While that remains a possibility, if Oklahoma can take care of things on the defensive side of the ball, they’ll put themselves in a much better position to win on Saturday.
There are a handful of Oklahoma players that could play a significant role in propelling this defense to victory. Take a look at our five defensive players to watch heading into the matchup with the Wildcats.
