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

Matt HolderApr 11, 2025

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 9¼”

TOP NEWS

ARM: 33⅝”

WINGSPAN: 82”

40-YARD DASH: 4.93

3-CONE: 7.28

SHUTTLE: 4.60

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 9'6"

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.

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.

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

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.

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

OVERALL RANK: 312

POSITION RANK: EDGE28

PRO COMPARISON: Romeo Okwara

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder