2020 NFL Draft Prospect – Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Missouri

Noah Ballweg Posted On March 15, 2020

Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Albert Okwuegbunam, TE from Missouri. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league!

In a rookie tight end class that many may call underwhelming, Albert Okwuegbunam, or “Albert O,” as many are calling him, shines above the rest. However, this was not the case about a month ago. Heading into the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Okwuegbunam was not the top-ranked tight end in his class. Many draft experts did not even have him in their top five at the position. That was until he ran a 4.49, 40-yard dash and blew the rest of the competition out of the water.

The Stats

Statistics from sports-reference.com.

As a three-star recruit coming out of the state of Illinois, Okwuegbunam signed with the Missouri Tigers in June of 2016. He was ranked as the 12th best player in the state and held offers from 19 different schools including Michigan and Iowa.

From a statistics standpoint, the first thing you notice about Okwuegbunam’s stat line is the level of consistency that he was able to put up over his three seasons at Missouri.

As a Freshman, Okwuegbunam made an immediate splash in the offense. His 29 receptions for 415 yards and a freshman-record 11 touchdowns proved to the rest of the SEC that this former three-star recruit meant business.

In an offense that lacked any true offensive stars, Okwuegbunam kept grinding and would go on to nearly double his receptions as a Sophomore, while hauling in another six touchdowns. He would go on to finish his career at Missouri averaging 12.1 yards per catch while finishing second in school history with 23 touchdowns in just three years.

The Film

The highlights in this film reel are pretty self-explanatory. Okwuegbunam catches a lot of touchdowns and blows past a ton of SEC safeties. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of film scouting, we have some excellent game film on Okwuegbunam’s rookie profile that gives a larger context to his game.

There is no doubt that Okwuegbunam is a great pass catcher and downfield threat through the middle of the field. Because of his size, frame and speed, Missouri was able to utilize him in the slot often, and at times lined up as a wide receiver in the red zone.

His film displays his breakaway 4.49 speed that college safeties could not keep up with, and linebackers didn’t even stand a chance. This should translate well in his transition to the NFL, though the speed of the game will be a much bigger jump. This will force Okwuegbunam to become a better route runner and utilize his agility on the field.

In the NFL, a tight end is only as good as his ability to get open in a variety of schemes. This comes down to the precision of route running which is one of the areas that Okwuegbunam will need to improve upon. He is also not a great run blocker/pass protector, which could limit some action that he sees on the field. If you break down his film, his hands are often out of place on his blocks which does not allow him to drive and finish his blocks all the way through.

Measurables

According to MockDraftable, Okwuegbunam’s measurables compare to the likes of some pretty impressive names. Todd Heap, Travis Kelce and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins. When you talk about these three tight ends, you mention their dominance in the red zone and their athletic prowess which sets them apart from the rest of the field.

Okwuegbunam is no different. He scored in the 97th percentile in tight end history in the 40-yard dash and well above the upper two-thirds in height, weight, hand-size, and arm-length. It would have been exciting to see him compete in the rest of the Combine drills amongst tight ends, but after his 4.49, Okwuegbunam felt that he had proved all he needed to. Either way, he has the size and frame and will continue to grow and mold into the ideal NFL physique.

Dynasty Value

Okwuegbunam’s film and measurables tell us that with the right fit and some continued development, he could be the best tight end in this class. The dynasty community appears to agree with that statement as well. Okwuegbunam is currently being drafted in the late third-rounds of rookie drafts, but as the first tight end being taken off the board. His rookie ADP of 33.00 in February puts him in the mix with Chase Claypool and Devin Duvernay. I have no problem using a third-round pick on him, especially in TE-Premium leagues where the tight end position is currently lacking at the moment.

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From a startup perspective, Okwuegbunam’s current ADP is 242, making him an early 21st-round pick. This is pretty standard for most incoming rookie tight ends in startup drafts, so simply consider it a bonus that you can acquire the number one tight end in the class towards the end of your draft.

Conclusion

While there is never a guarantee of how a player’s game will translate in the NFL. Okwuegbunam seems to be about as sure as they come from a fantasy perspective. He is faster than 97% of tight ends and 75% of skill position players. This gives him a tremendous foot forward as he enters the NFL and will allow him to focus on the crisp details of his game, rather than the raw talent.

There could be some growing pains that we see in his game early on as he learns the offensive system and improves upon his blocking skillset, but from a dynasty perspective, we know that “Albert O” is going to run a lot of routes, translating into a high volume of yards with great touchdown upside.

Don’t let the 40-yard dash be your only reason for drafting Okwuegbunam this off-season because there is so much more to love about his game.