Getty Images Edge rusher BJ Ojulari was chosen to wear LSU's prestigious No. 18 last season for exhibiting "traits of excellence."
As the Los Angeles Rams contemplate what they will do in the upcoming NFL draft, could the team choose to court Nigerian royalty at pick No. 36?
There is great consensus that the Rams are in dire need of beefing up their anemic pass rush after finishing 21st in the NFL with 38 sacks last season.
Enter LSU pass rushing specialist BJ Ojulari. He is the younger brother of New York Giants outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari.
LSU EDGE BJ Ojulari last season:
🐯 49 QB Pressures
🐯 9 Sacks
🐯 83.0 Pass Rush Grade
The elder Ojulari, a second-round pick of the Giants in the 2021 draft, has amassed 13.5 backs and 11 tackles for a loss over his first two NFL seasons.
Those types of numbers might intrigue the Rams, who’s 2022 pass rush lacked the 50-sack punch from 2021. Linebackers Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner led the team with just 9 and 6 sacks, respectively. Both players left the team to become free agents, creating an even more acute need for for the team to bring in pass-rushing reinforcements.
BJ Ojulari deserves his flowers🗣
BJ Ojulari, a 6-foot-3, 250-pounder that registered 12.5 sacks over the last two seasons while playing edge rusher for the Tigers, is a name that has begun to appear in mock drafts as a pick for the Rams.
Both Gabriel Moreno of DraftKings and ESPN’s Matt Miller have Ojulari holding up a Rams jersey early in the second round on April 28.
BJ Ojulari Prospectively in Line to a Nigerian Throne
Things start getting quite interesting upon digging into the Ojulari family history.
BJ and Azeez Ojulari are grandsons of a Nigerian prince, Olaniyi Osuntoki.
According to a Sept. 22, 2020 story in The Advocate, Osuntoki, who later changed his name to Prince Twins Seven-Seven, was a globe-trotting painter and musician who may have risen to inherit his great-grandfather’s title as king of the Nigerian city-state of Ibadan, had he not died from a stroke at the age of 67 in 2011.
Currently, Ibadan is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city in Nigeria with a population of over 3.6 million.
Neither BJ — who’s full name is Jamiu Bolaji — or Azeez is likely to ever be chosen to be king, according to their mother, Bolanle, who told The Advocate that her father has 16 wives and 35 children. The next king, chosen with the help of an oracle, is normally passed down through male lineage.
So, given that BJ Ojulari is likely not headed for a princely life on the west coast of Africa, would the Rams be interested?
BJ Ojulari Wore LSU’s Prestigious No. 18 Last Season
There are a plethora of options available to the the team as they prepare for the upcoming NFL draft. After a 5-12 season in 2022, there are plenty of holes to fill.
It is also still a possibility that the Rams could use their stockpile of 11 selections in the upcoming NFL draft to trade back into the first round.
But if the team remains at No. 36, the 21-year-old Ojulari may make a great fit for more than just his pass-rushing ways, but also the prospective of bringing leadership to the Rams’ defense. Though they may actually have to trade into the first round to get him, according to NFLDraftBuzz.com.
The 2022 First-Team All-SEC player was chosen to wear LSU’s prestigious No. 18 jersey last season, an honor that goes to a player that “must have all the traits of excellence,” according to LSUSports.net.
Happy birthday to @Bj_O9 !!!! t.co/51KzS5UDQZ
“The No. 18 is the player who brings all those traits of someone who leads in an extraordinary manner,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said in awarding the No. 18 to Ojulari last season. “The attention to detail, great focus, represents the program in a positive way in the classroom, in the community and on the field. His teammates, coaches and the entire staff believe BJ Ojulari embodies what the number 18 represents. He carries our traits of excellence every day on and off the field.”
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Could the Rams Court Nigerian Royalty?