Kansas football: Left tackle Hakeem Adeniji projected fourth-round pick
By Jake Spence
All-Big 12 lineman Hakeem Adeniji made his mark while playing for Kansas football, and now he’ll try to make it into the NFL.
Kansas football’s Hakeem Adeniji, a six-foot-four and three hundred and four-pound left tackle from Garland, Texas will be waiting to hear his name called during the 2020 NFL Draft. Starting April 23rd – April 25th, the 2020 NFL Draft will air on ESPN and the NFL Network.
Hakeem was a very underrated prospect coming out of high school. Being nationally unranked by all major sports websites hurt his exposure quite a bit, and resulted in earning only one offer from Kansas football.
What excites NFL scouts most about Adeniji is his length. Scouts love that a player at his size is able to move as well as he can while also having some of the best length in this year’s draft. Hakeem isn’t in the top-tier for the draft; however, he is on multiple teams’ draft boards heading into April.
Strengths
- Long Arms
- Quick change of direction
- Experience (four-year starter)
- Raw Prospect ( Strong Potential)
Weaknesses
- Fundamentals
- Sloppy footwork at times
- Average athleticism
Injury History
Adeniji had surgery done to both his labrums in each shoulder after the 2017 college football season.
Hakeem received a 5.96 prospect grade from NFL.com. According to their scale, that would put him in the “backup/special teamer” or “Developmental traits-based prospect” section of players.
To summarize, NFL analysts and scouts believe Hakeem will serve as a backup and a developmental player once he gets signed to a team. He shouldn’t make an immediate start unless there happen to be injuries that propel him into the starting lineup.
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Final Evaluation
Hakeem has shown that he is very durable during his college seasons at Kansas. He has also shown glimpses of NFL caliber, while also showing immaturity. Adeniji will most likely need a team that relies significantly on zone-blocking run plays that allow him to get the appropriate angles to be successful. Adeniji did have a solid combine, but will need to make that transition from college football with its classes and distractions to becoming a full-time NFL offensive lineman.
Possible teams
- Chicago Bears
- Atlanta Falcons
- Miami Dolphins
- Cleveland Browns
Prediction – 4th to 6th round pick