Account
Olusegun Oluwatimi NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Michigan IOL
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 307
HAND: TBD
ARM: TBD
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: TBD
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
— Alert player with good spatial awareness and processing skills to diagnose line games and stunts and identify the most dangerous man.
— Quarterbacks the best offensive line unit in the nation, with a firm grasp on the checks, calls and adjustments in the pre-snap phase of the game.
— Shows a good understanding of the play's intent by knowing when and how to manipulate body positioning and leverage to create seals and alleys in the run game.
— Works best in tandem with his guards having help on slide protections, combo and double-team blocks using the proper timing and spacing to get defenders covered up.
— Solid steer and sustain skills in the run game; plays with a good hip-to-elbow relationship to keep his hands tight and inside while continually driving his feet and applying force on defenders through the whistle.
— Capable blocker on the move up to the second level and on pulls to line up and dig out his target.
NEGATIVES
— Smaller stature with below-average play strength and power.
— Struggles to consistently root his feet, absorb force and anchor when isolated against the bull rush.
— Will get stood up and flattened at the point of attack when asked to uproot or reach defensive tackles without help.
— Inconsistent set points on shaded interior rushers with tardy strike timing that leaves him vulnerable to losing quickly across his face.
— Lack of position flex limits versatility in the NFL.
NOTES
— Former 2-star guard recruit out of DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, per 247Sports composite rating
— Originally committed to the Air Force Academy before transferring to the University of Virginia and starting 32 consecutive games there, all at center, before transferring again to Michigan prior to the 2022 season
— Named a consensus All-American in 2022
— Won the 2022 Rimington (best center) and Outland Trophies (best interior lineman), becoming the third Michigan player to win the former and first to win the latter
— Part of the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line in 2022, given to the nation's top OL unit
— His brother Oluwaseun is a defensive lineman at the University of Maryland
OVERALL
Olusegun Oluwatimi is a four-year starter with 45 career starts, all at center for two different programs, most recently for Michigan's run-heavy, downhill ground game that emphasizes gap and man-blocking concepts with some zone sprinkled in. Oluwatimi has adequate arm length with a lean, narrow frame and more thickness in his lower than upper half.
Oluwatimi orchestrates the pre-snap phase of the game, making all of the line calls for the Wolverines and did so throughout his career at Virginia. He shows above-average processing skills and spatial awareness to sort line games and stunts and identify the most dangerous man when necessary (late loopers, delayed blitzes, etc.).
He maintains proper depth and spacing with his guards on slide protections and utilizes the drag or backside hand to "feel" and overtake adjacent pressure when needed. He also has a nice snatch technique to defeat power when facing the bull rush.
Due to his middling stature, length and power, though, Oluwatimi struggles to root his feet and brace and absorb force when isolated against bigger interior rushers that get into his frame. This causes him to get walked back, pried open or shed too easily. His strike timing against shifty interior rushers can also be late, leaving him vulnerable to losing across his face without enough foot quickness to reliably recover.
In the run game, Oluwatimi shows a firm grasp of the play's intent by knowing when and how to manipulate body positioning and leverage to create seals and alleys based on the runner's path. He does a nice job working combination and double-team blocks using proper spacing, timing and aiming points to get into good initial position on blocks. He also aligns his hips and elbows prior to contact, leading to tight hand placement while consistently running his feet through the whistle, allowing him to apply consistent force on defenders with enough leverage and control so lanes can open up around him.
However, Oluwatimi struggles to uproot and sustain on base, drive and down blocks against defensive tackles without help, frequently getting stood up, knocked back and shed.
Overall, Oluwatimi is a highly decorated, experienced and smart player with good processing skills, spatial awareness and an understanding of leverage. He will need to overcome below-average physical traits and a lack of proven versatility to become a starter but has the makeup and smarts to develop into a role player over his first contract.
GRADE : 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)
OVERALL RANK : 114
POSITION RANK : IOL8
PRO COMPARISON : Ted Karras
Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn