ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper released his third mock draft on Tuesday, as well as his latest prospect rankings ahead of April’s 2023 NFL Draft.
There were several interesting placements in each the mock draft and prospect rankings, but one ranking is particularly eye-opening.
Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore made his first appearance on Kiper’s top-25 draft prospect rankings.
According to Kiper, “people [he trusts] in the NFL believe [Adebawore] could go somewhere in the top 15 picks.”
“Welcome to the Big Board, Mr. Adebawore. And welcome to my new mock draft as well. Adebawore had an incredible workout at the combine, and people I trust in the NFL believe he could go somewhere in the top 15 picks. While he didn’t produce huge numbers in college — 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons — he played most of the time as a defensive end. His numbers could make a leap if he moves permanently inside, working as a 3-technique tackle. Adebawore’s physical attributes are off the charts, and defensive coordinators will want to work with him to see if they can get him to his potential.”
In Kiper’s mock draft, he has Adebawore going in the first round for the first time, to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 26.
As Kiper noted on his big board rankings, Adebawore “had an incredible workout” at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. For example, Adebawore ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at 6’2″, 282 pounds.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
official 40/10: 4.49/164… at 282 pounds is the most impressive testing time I've seen todaypic.twitter.com/u83F4jpTON
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) March 2, 2023
Adetomiwa Adebawore is a DT prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.70 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 46 out of 1491 DT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/kcBR0aeFSr #RAS pic.twitter.com/Apv7NoJVOG
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 19, 2023
While Adebawore’s stock had absolutely been rising after the Combine performance, most draft evaluators had still been viewing him as a second-round prospect. So, the suggestion that Adebawore could be a first-round prospect is certainly notable- and especially the suggestion that he could even be a top-15 pick.
Adebawore is viewed as a versatile defensive lineman that could play defensive end and/or defensive tackle in the NFL. Many evaluators think Adebawore’s best NFL positional fit is as a three-technique defensive tackle.
[Mel Kiper’s 2023 NFL Draft rankings on ESPN]
