Former Notre Dame football star emerging for Atlanta Falcons
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team saw both starting edge rushers go to the NFL in the 2021 NFL Draft, and one is rising up the depth chart at the next level.
With the No. 182 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Adetokunbo Ogundeji, an edge rusher from the Notre Dame football team. With the Irish, Ogudeji teamed with Daelin Hayes to give Brian Kelly two elite pass rushers, and both players would end up being draft picks this year.
While Hayes works to climb up the depth chart with the Baltimore Ravens, Ogudeji is doing just fine with the Atlanta Falcons, an organization that has hit the reset button this offseason. This is a franchise that was in the Super Bowl only a few years ago, and in a tough NFC South, the home of Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay, they need rookies like Ogundeji to come in and perform right away.
Notre Dame football star rising for Atlanta Falcons
Earlier this week, Scott Bair, the Managing Digital Editor for the Atlanta Falcons tweeted out that Ogundeji is starting to get more and more reps with the first team. That is huge for a player who is not only changing positions at the next level but started the summer way down on the depth chart.
During his time at Notre Dame, we saw how he could impact a game, and now that he is in the NFL, we are seeing how perfect he is for the next level. He has a tremendous motor, is an incredible athlete, and is on a Falcons defense that is looking to turn the page after some terrible choices at edge rusher, Ogundeji may just be the perfect fit.
Of course, there is a lot of summer left to go, and he will have to continue to get it done in practice, and during the last two preseason games. Ogundeji is definitely someone to keep an eye on as we finish up the NFL preseason, and when all is said and done, he could be in line for a rookie season that nobody saw coming.