Report: Broncos had a pre-draft visit with Texas defensive lineman, Charles Omenihu

According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos had a pre-draft visit with former Texas defnesive lineman Charles Omenihu on Monday.

Omenihu is listed at 6’5”, 280lbs and was a top performer in multiple agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.92 40-time and has 36” arms.

He played a total of four-seasons at Texas and is coming off a bit of a breakout year for the longhorns. During his four-year career at Texas, he totaled 115 tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, and 4 forced fumbles. This past year, Omenihu totaled 45 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, and 1 forced fumble.

Here is what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had to say about Omenhiu is his recently released 2019 NFL Draft guide.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Texas, Omenihu moved to a five-technique role in Todd Orlando’s 3-3-5 base scheme, primarily lining up over or inside the offensive tackle. After flirting with the NFL, he returned for his senior year and collected at least one tackle for loss in the final 10 games, giving the Longhorns backto-back Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year (Poona Ford in 2017). Omenihu does a great job using his length to gain the upper hand, either setting the edge in the run game or manhandling blockers as a bull rusher. However, the mental and technical aspects of his game lack schooling, especially as a pass rusher. Overall, Omenihu flashes on film and boasts the long levers and raw power worth developing, but his spotty instincts and playmaking skills create consistency issues, projecting best as a base end who requires patience.

The Broncos have been looking multiple interior and edge rushers throughout the draft process and it appears Omenhiu can do a little of both. He has the build to be a 5-technique defensive end, but probably projects best as a 4-3 end.

The Broncos figure to run a variation of a 4-3/3-4 defense so someone like Omenhiu could fit. Also, the Broncos have Shelby Harris, Adam Gotsis, and others entering their final year of their deals with the team. So depth and even potentially replacing one of those players is probably high on the Broncos wishlist this offsason.

Projections for Omenhiu are all over the board, but usually toolsy athletes like this go sometime on day two of the draft. The third-round and the early fourth-round at the latest appears to be his going range and where I expect the Broncos to consider him if they decide to go that route.