2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Edge Victor Dimukeje, Duke
EDGE VICTOR DIMUKEJE
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 235 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Duke
He is a former three-star recruit out of The Boys’ Latin School in Baltimore, Maryland. Dimukeje was the 1075th ranked recruit in the 2017 cycle. He had 35 scholarships coming out of high school but ultimately went to the Duke Blue Devils. It was a wise decision for both parties - he started in all 49 games.
He recorded 161 total tackles, 32 for a loss, with 21.5 sacks, one interception, and four forced fumbles. He ended his career with 154 total pressures on the quarterback, according to Pro Football Focus.
He is a pin-your-ears-back type of pass rusher with many interesting qualities and pass-rushing moves, much like his teammate Chris Rumph II.
Traits
Short and compact (6’2 is generous). Height and length will be some of the biggest obstacles for Dimukeje to overcome in the NFL; a byproduct of that is excellent leverage.
Dimukeje has a very low center of gravity, and he does a solid job sinking his hips and generating force through his lower half and core. He’s a good athlete as well who has a quick first step, good closing burst, and solid acceleration in space.
He attacks the half-man well and possesses solid bend in his lower half to dip through contact. He has an array of pass-rushing moves that he employs--he’s not as instinctive with his repertoire as Rumph II, but he’s excellent with chopping the outside arm and ripping underneath. He uses his hands very well, but his hands don’t have a ton of pop.
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He has solid flexibility in his lower half. Still, his steps at the top of the arc can get choppy--he relies more on his hands and leverage to create the separation rather than athletic ability in this area. He moves solidly in space and has explosive traits. He plays with a ton of competitive toughness and runs around relentlessly.
Can sink his already low center of gravity and hold up the point of attack on the edge against the run. He isn’t a dominant run defender, and bigger offensive tackles may give him issues because of the size concerns, but he can stack, get his eyes in the backfield, and shed to tackle solidly.
He doesn’t have much upside dropping into coverage and is much more of a traditional end. Questions about his ability to play in space are warranted, and that may limit him to being somewhat scheme-specific at the next level. 4-3 End fits the weight and lack of coverage experience, but that length is going to concern teams.
Dimukeje is a refined pass rusher who has good overall athletic ability for an EDGE. He uses his hands well to set up pass-rushing moves and puts himself into good positions to get to the quarterback. However, his measurables are concerning, and it’s going to adversely affect his draft stock. He can add situational pass-rushing upside early on.
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