Defensive Back Obi Melifonwu
The Oakland Raiders have added more depth to the secondary, in the first round it was cornerback Gareon Conley from Ohio State, in the second round the team selected defensive back Obi Melifonwu from the University of Connecticut.
Here are five things you should know about Melifonwu:
He was a dual-threat in high school.
During high school, Melifonwu played both the running back and defensive back positions. During his senior year, he rushed for 1,394 yards with 17 touchdowns, had 10 two-point conversions, made 14 tackles on defense, and had three interceptions, which led to him being named to the ESPN Boston All-State team.
Melifonwu was a four-year starter at UConn.
The 22-year-old played in 48 games as a Huskie, totaling 349 tackles, had 11 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 16 passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries. In his senior season, Melifonwu notched a team-high 128 tackles and tied the UConn record for most tackles in a game with 24.
He has "elite size."
The NFL standard nowadays is the bigger the better, especially when it comes to defensive backs. Melifonwu has an athletic frame at 6'4", 224 pounds and has great reach. His performance at the NFL Scouting Combine opened a lot of eyes after he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash, posted a 44" vertical jump, and a 141" broad jump. According to his NFL draft profile, he's able to "body-up seam-runners and constrict their windows" due to his size.
The former Huskie was born in England.
The newest Raider hails from London, England. Prior to moving to South Grafton, Mass., Melifonwu was born in the UK. I wonder if he's a soccer fan?
Melifonwu brought home the hardware.
In 2016, he was named First-Team All-American Athletic conference, as well as All-ECAC and All-New England honors. Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine, he played in the 2017 Reese's Senior Bowl.
