From now until the 2020 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#81/Albert Okwuegbunam/TE/Missouri/6’5”, 255 Lbs
The Good
-Tracks the football well when working vertically, shows good body control to adjust to flight
-Soft hands that envelop the football
-Huge catch radius and thrives when asked to play above the rim
-Positionally flexible, asked to wear a lot of hats in Mizzou offense; comfortable lining up all over the field
-Vertical threat that uses his body well to box out and win at catch point
-Flashes physicality with the ball in his hands, rarely goes down on first contact
The Bad
-Lacks strength and drive as a blocker; gets overpowered in the run game too often for his size
-Route tree is pretty bland; a lot of seam leaks, crosses and quick outs, not much more there
-Not a sudden athlete, clunky mover on film that needs a runway to get going
-Prefers to be a stalemate blocker when in line, which can lead to him getting rolled up on, or stuck in the hole
-Pad level is very rough as a blocker; struggles to sink into hips and drive; will slide off strikes far too easily
-Awareness as a blocker is well below standard; uncomfortable and unsure of himself working in space as a blocker
Bio
–Played in 33 career games at Missouri, starting 25 over three years
-Hauled in career-high 11 touchdowns in 2017, which was his first year as a starter after redshirting in 2016
-Finished three-year career with 98 career catches for 1,187 yards and 23 touchdowns
-Senior year he put up 26 catches for 306 yards and six touchdowns
-Two-time All-SEC Second Team selection in 2017 and 2019
-Suffered season-ending knee injury in 2018 at Florida
Tape Breakdown
Leading up to the 2019 season, a lot of hype surrounded Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (OH-koo-WAY-boo-NAM), with some calling him TE1 in the 2020 NFL Draft Class.