Film Don't Lie: NaNa Osafo-Mensah
Prospects with the potential to become elite pass rushers at the next level don’t commit to Notre Dame very often. That’s why it’s a such a huge deal whenever they do and why the Irish landing a pledge from NaNa Osafo-Mensah means so much.
There are things he needs to work on with his game to get there, but Osafo-Mensah has all of the traits necessary to be a disruptive difference maker for the Irish.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 240
Projected Position: Drop
ISD Grade: 94 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 93.1 (4-star)
What he does best:
Osafo-Mensah has twitch and has shown an ability to attack the edge and turn the corner as a pass rusher. That’s not common, but it’s also not what separates him as a great prospect. He’s a really good football player and his athleticism translates to making plays in a variety of ways on the field.
More than a few individuals have long arms that are advantageous as an edge defender, but you don’t see a lot of them make a play like this where they avoid the cut block and then and have the hand-eye to tip the pass into the air and to themselves for an interception.
He does a terrific job of reacting to what is in front of him. It’s not often that instincts are talked about with defensive linemen, but Osafo-Mensah instinctively adjusts to what he is seeing and makes plays because of it.
As a seven technique (inside shade of the tight end) he moves with the outside zone and when he realizes the tackle is getting too wide, he slips back underneath to make the play in the backfield.
He’s tall and many others his height can get caught up peaking into the backfield on certain plays, but he plays with solid leverage versus the run. This is a great example of him playing with a good base and squeezing the attempted kick out block from the right tackle. He knocks the tackle back into the gap and then disengages to make the tackle.
He’s just a very strong, reactive player that changes directions well. Even when it looks like he might be out of a play, he can still react and finish.
One thing I highly value when evaluating any defensive lineman is their lateral quickness. Someone who can explode laterally can win as a pass rusher and be able to make plays behind the line of scrimmage versus the run. Osafo-Mensah has terrific lateral quickness and even when he false steps the other way on this play, he burns the lunging offensive lineman because of how fast he moved laterally.
He displays a good motor as well. All the athletic traits in the world can’t help a player win if they make a mistake or if they stuck in a bad situation against a double team. He shows the grit to fight through on those kind of plays. That can go a long way at any level of football.
What he needs to improve:
While he does flashes some great twitch, he can be a lot more consistent with his first step. He reacts late at the snap on some plays and his anticipation can improve.
His length is awesome for him to have, but he isn’t violent enough with his hands. He needs to work on having more shock with his punch and also diversify his pass rush moves. He can win with athleticism now, but to truly become elite at the college level he needs to add at least one go-to move and counters off of those.
If he puts in the time and effort to get better in that area, it’s going to be exciting to see the player he will become.
What’s his ceiling?
If they were putting together a defensive end in a lab, they’d use Osafo-Mensah’s frame as the base for it. He’s a long athlete and is perfectly suited to play Drop for the Irish right now, but he may fill out and play the strong side end at some point as well.
I’ve seen clips of him playing in coverage in camp settings where he looks comfortable and fluid with his movement, which is something he would be asked to do on occasion at Drop for Notre Dame. But let’s be honest, his ceiling as a pass rusher and overall complete edge player is what’s most exciting about this addition to the 2019 class. He has the chance to develop into a three down force.
Currently I have him ranked as a top-100 prospect, but he could end up in the 2019 ISD Fab 50 before all is said and done. Someone asked me to compare him to a recent college player and I think former UCLA edge rusher Takkarist McKinley is a good one. He ended up being a highly productive player (10 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 6 pass deflections as a senior) and an eventual first round pick.
That’s the kind of potential NaNa Osafo-Mensah has. He’s not going to be that player from day one at Notre Dame, but he has the tools to get there.
BREAKING: 2019 Four-Star DE NaNa Osafo-Mensah Commits To Notre Dame
Video: Watch 2019 Four-Star DE NaNa Osafo-Mensah Commit To Notre Dame
Notre Dame's Commits React To Adding NaNa Osafo-Mensah
NaNa Osafo-Mensah Has Been Different From The Start