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Chidera Uzo-Diribe NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report and More
By Darren Page , Featured Columnist Apr 9, 2014

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Chidera Uzo-Diribe NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report and MoreDoug Pensinger/Getty Images
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Chidera Uzo-Diribe (HT: 6’2 1/4” WT: 252 lbs)

Positives

Plays with controlled athleticism.
Sufficiently quick first step off the ball from a two-point stance.
Keeps pads low to play with proper leverage.
Has some natural wiggle that gives heavy-footed pass-rushers trouble.
Can dip his shoulder and turn a corner with flexibility.
Knows how to convert speed to power, just lacks the build and punch for it.
Has a burst to close on the quarterback once he works into space.
Attacks the football when he gets home, has a track record of forcing fumbles.
Comfortable dropping from the line of scrimmage into coverage with fluid movement in space.
Uses quick first step to shoot gaps and can disrupt the backfield on occasion.
Shows flashes of controlled violence, not a complete pushover.
Tracks ball-carriers in the open field well by breaking down and maintaining pursuit leverage.
Experienced player with 29 career starts for Colorado.

Negatives

Slow play recognition and anticipation.
Lacks functional strength in both pass and run game.
Remarkably slow off the ball from a two-point stance, poor snap anticipation.
Limited to finesse rush moves entirely.
Gets wedged off his rush arcs too easily.
Struggles against tackles who take aggressive angles in pass protection and cut down his space.
Doesn’t have a ton of ideas in terms of pass-rushing moves.
Will try too many swim moves and expose his chest to the hands of pass-blockers.
Has a tendency to waste steps in his initial move, indecisive.
Lacks sand in his pants to hold his ground against drive blocks.
Insufficient upper-body strength to shed blocks in a timely fashion.
Handled by tight ends in the run game.
Does a poor job of setting a hard edge to contain perimeter runs.
Doesn’t make enough plays in pursuit as a run defender, questionable motor.
Collegiate Statistics
Year Team Tackles TFL Sacks FF PD
2010 Colorado 11 4 3.5 1 0
2011 Colorado 18 7 5.5 3 0
2012 Colorado 43 10 7 1 2
2013 Colorado 46 11 4 5 4
CUBuffs.com - Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

Personal Notes

Rivals.com rated him as a 3-star prospect and the 37th-ranked weak-side DE in recruiting class of 2010.
Suffered a fractured toe that required surgery to insert a pin before sophomore season.
Hampered by a high ankle sprain but played through it as a junior.
Selected as a team captain in 2013 by his teammates.
Cousin of Atlanta Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

Ratings Chart

Graph made at nces.ed.gov.

Overall

Chidera Uzo-Diribe is an interesting edge prospect because he has flashes of athletic brilliance that show promise as an NFL player.

The whole does not match the sum of the parts, though. When it comes down to it, Uzo-Diribe was not impressively productive as a pass-rusher at the collegiate level. Considering his deficiencies against the run, that’s alarming.

His need to add bulk and strength makes him more of a project than an immediate contributor. In terms of position, his NFL fit is no real mystery. Uzo-Diribe is a 3-4 outside linebacker through and through. His comfort playing from on his feet is obvious and having a space-eating defensive end in front of him would do a world of good.