UCLA Oluwafemi Oladejo Mocked to Top NFC Team

Aug 31, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo (2) reacts after tackling Hawaii Rainbow Warriors quarterback Brayden Schager (13) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

UCLA Oluwafemi Oladejo Mocked to Top NFC Team

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Brock Vierra | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 3:08 PM ET

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UCLA's Oluwafemi Oladejo continues to gain love from the NFL community as the versatile edge player continues to conduct interviews with teams throughout April.

Many around the NFL believe he will be a second-round pick, and NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter mocked Oladejo to the Detroit Lions with the 60th overall pick.

This is not the first time Oladejo has been mocked to the Lions, as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. mocked him to the Lions with their 28th overall selection.

"On one hand, Detroit ran into bad luck in 2024 with an inconceivable number of injuries to its defense, seeming dooming the otherwise dominant team," Kiper wrote.

"On the other, the Lions never really had a clear no.2 pass rusher opposite [Aidan] Hutchinson (who missed some time himself with a leg injury). Za'Darius Smith had four sacks over eight games after a midseason trade to Detroit, but no other edge rusher had more than three sacks.

"The rest of this roster is too good to ignore this, and general manager Brad Holmes should be looking for answers in both free agency and the draft. Oladejo has steadily risen in this class, moving from round three to the round two conversation with a good Senior Bowl week.

"The jump to round one is a bit of a projection, but Oladejo is getting buzz right now -- I think he could be in this range after the combine. He should test well considering his burst and intensity. And while he had just 4.5 sacks in 2024, his tape is really good."

The Lions need edge players to complement Hutchinson after the departure of Smith. Oladejo's versatility gives first-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard a chess piece to dial up exotic blitzes against the quarterback-studded NFC North.

The Lions' went offense with the 28th overall pick in the mock draft, selecting guard Jonah Savaiinaea.

"It's tough for me to project anyone else to the Lions. Savaiinaea's combination of toughness and mobility make him a great fit to replace Kevin Zeitler at right guard, where Savaiinaea played at Arizona as a freshman and sophomore," Reuter wrote.

An interesting pairing in Detroit.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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