R.J. Oben NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Notre Dame EDGE

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 9¼”

ARM: 33⅝”

WINGSPAN: 82”

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40-YARD DASH: 4.93

3-CONE: 7.28

SHUTTLE: 4.60

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 9'6"

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POSITIVES

— Solid size and arm length for an NFL defensive end.

— Has the upper-body strength and long arms to help get extension as a run defender when he keeps his hands tight.

— Active hands as a pass-rusher.

— Shown a solid hand-swipe move to win around the edge and has a decent inside spin move as a counter.

— High-effort player who will factor into gang-tackles down the field.

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NEGATIVES

— Minimal production last season with one sack and 19 total tackles in 16 games.

— Robotic movement skills and a below-average athlete overall. Earned a 5.35 RAS.

— False-steps and stands up out of his stance for a poor get-off.

— Stiff in the hips and ankles, hurting his bend at the top of the rush.

— Hands are often wide and late in both phases of the game, allowing offensive tackles to get into his chest and leading to him getting stuck on blocks.

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NOTES

— Born June 17, 2001

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2019 Shoulder, season-ending and only played in 4 games, had offseason surgery

— Played at Duke from 2019 to 2023 before transferring to Notre Dame last season

— Father, Roman, had a 12-year NFL career as an offensive tackle and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002

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OVERALL

R.J. Oben has NFL bloodlines and certainly looks the part with his size and length. He has solid strength to help set the edge as a run defender and has shown a couple of pass-rush moves he can win with. However, he didn't make much of an impact in his one year at Notre Dame and ultimately isn't an NFL-level athlete.

On an undrafted-free-agent contract, Oben should have a chance to make a roster this fall as a base end in even fronts. But he'll likely begin his NFL career on the practice squad to get more time to develop.

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GRADE: 5.4 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

OVERALL RANK: 312

POSITION RANK: EDGE28

PRO COMPARISON: Romeo Okwara

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder