The Minnesota Vikings selected Minnesota Golden Gophers edge rusher Esezi Otomewo in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, marking the third Gopher alum to be selected in this year’s draft.
Otomewo was selected with the 165th overall pick on Saturday afternoon, keeping the 6-foot-5, 282-pounder in Minneapolis. Although he had limited production during his career including three sacks in his senior season, Otomewo projects as a toolsy pass-rusher that could serve in a rotational role.
His relative athletic score (RAS) of 6.63 is underwhelming but could also be suppressed after a knee injury suffered in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl prevented him from working out at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.
I covered Esezi Otomewo during his entire #Gophers career. He has the length/wingspan to defeat blocks, sets hard edges and has good lower-body power/explosiveness.
Within the #Vikings scheme, he will fit well as a 5-tech who can kick inside occasionally.
— Daniel House (@DanielHouseMN) April 30, 2022
Otomweo wasn’t the only Gopher celebrating this weekend as edge rusher Boye Mafe, offensive tackle Daniel Faalele and tight end Ko Kieft were also drafted.
Mafe was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round (40th overall pick) on Friday night. A member of Bruce Feldman’s 2020 “Freaks List”, Mafe was considered to be one of the top edge rushers in this year’s class.
With 34 total tackles (10 for loss) and seven sacks during his senior season, the Hopkins alum should help a Seattle defense that ranked 23rd in the NFL with 34 sacks last season.
Faalele was selected in the fourth round (110th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens. The 6-foot-8, 384-pound offensive tackle will be reunited with fellow Gopher alum Rashod Bateman, who was selected in the first round of last year’s draft.
Faalele was a first-team All-Big Ten selection for the Gophers last season and ranked 54th among qualifying offensive linemen with an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 82.3.
Kieft was the final Gopher selected, going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round (218th overall). Kieft had just 12 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns during his career but he profiles as a blocking tight end at the next level.
Video: New Bucs tight end Ko Kieft is fine with you calling him a blocking tight end. “I’ll get down and dirty with the worst of them.” pic.twitter.com/nUNGzn1wT5
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 30, 2022
The Gophers have produced plenty of NFL talent recently with 11 players drafted over the past three years. That list includes Bateman, the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft and Super Bowl champion and 45th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Antoine Winfield Jr.
