Ruke Orhorhoro, a 6-foot-4, 294-pound defensive tackle out of Clemson, will now try to mimic the success of another former Tigers defensive lineman in Atlanta.
The Falcons selected Orhorhoro with the No. 35 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and will put him next to Grady Jarrett on the defensive front. Atlanta traded with Arizona to move up from No. 43 in the second round, sending the Cardinals the Nos. 43 and 79 picks in exchange for No. 35 and No. 185 in the sixth round.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Orhorhoro ranked No. 51 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
A three-year starter at Clemson, Orhorhoro was primarily a three-technique tackle in defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin’s four-man front, lining up everywhere from the zero- to nine-technique. After not playing football until his junior year of high school, he showed gradual improvements each season in college even if the stat sheet appears underwhelming.
As a pass rusher, Orhorhoro doesn’t have a lot of clean wins on tape, but he converts his speed to power and plays with the quickness and balance to become more disruptive (studies boxing to help with his high, active hands). Against the run, he is hard to reach because of his lateral quickness to move up and down the line and he does a great job as a two-gapper with his ability to stack, locate and re-leverage.
Overall, Orhorhoro’s undeveloped pass-rush instincts and finishing skills cloud his next-level projection, but he displays intriguing movement skills and force at contact to continue getting better and better. He has NFL starting upside with the scheme versatility to play multiple positions, both inside and outside.
Let’s do it, @ruke33!!! pic.twitter.com/1DfAkSVOUE
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 26, 2024
How he fits
Orhorhoro played everywhere from nose tackle to wide end in Clemson’s system so probably could fit anywhere along Atlanta’s three-man front. Defensive tackle was considered a position of need for the Falcons entering the draft although perhaps not as pressing as edge rusher or cornerback. However, Atlanta clearly felt differently because Orhorhoro was its first defensive pick in this year’s draft.
Rookie impact
Orhorhoro will have a chance to get into the starting lineup and at minimum should be a regular in the rotation. He played in 53 games in five seasons at Clemson, starting 30 of them and totaling 12 sacks in his career. The big man “displays intriguing movement skills and force at contact” and “tilts the field and creates meaningful push at the point of attack,” according to Brugler’s scouting report. However, he is considered an unpolished prospect, and he was ranked No. 51 on Brugler’s all-positions Big Board.
Depth-chart impact
Orhorhoro will join Jarrett, David Onyemata (who like Orhorhoro is a native of Nigeria), Zach Harrison, Eddie Goldman and Ta’Quon Graham on the defensive front. If new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake rotates defensive linemen as often as Ryan Nielsen did a year ago, all six players will find plenty of opportunities.
They also could have picked …
Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton, who was the No. 2-rated defensive tackle in the draft by Brugler. The 6-2, 304-pound Newton had 7.5 sacks in his senior season and 17.5 in his career. Newton was a first-team All-American in 2023. Atlanta also passed on Brugler’s No. 3 defensive tackle, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins, to take Orhorhoro.
Fast evaluation
Orhorhoro described his play style as “fast, physical and aggressive.” That’s exactly what Lake said he was looking for in a defender. “I’m a guy that will run into that dark alley with you,” Orhorhoro said.
(Photo of Ruke Orhorhoro: Ken Ruinard / USA Today)
