First Step: Anudike-Uzomah has a nice first step that allows him to immediately establish leverage against his opponents. His taller frame gives him plenty of length to make long strides into his arc while cornering around his opponents. Anudike-Uzomah plays both stand-up edge and in a four-point stance, with his explosiveness staying consistent from each alignment.
Bend: Anudike-Uzomah has good athleticism for the position which translates to having impressive functional bend. He does a great job flattening his hips and dipping his shoulder at the top of his arc to loop around offensive tackles. When moving laterally, Anudike-Uzomah is able to plant and drive off with great flexibility.
Hand Usage: Anudike-Uzomah has strong hands as an edge defender and uses them to manipulate opponents at the point of attack. He struggles with hand placement when needing to work off of offensive tackles when plays come through the gap to his inside. He has the length to create good extension which helps his ability when shedding blocks in run defense.
Pass Rush Plan: Anudike-Uzomah has an above-average pass rush plan but still has room to grow in this aspect. He plays tight to his opponents as a five technique, and currently relies on first step quickness plus arm length to win around the edge. Additionally, he can demolish offensive lineman with speed to power rushes. However, he can take some narrow angles to the quarterback which affects his pad level. This lack of discipline with pad level hurts him when he attempts to execute the spin counter.
Motor/Effort: Incredible motor on a down-to-down basis. Anudike-Uzomah plays hard through the whistle and wins plenty of reps based on effort alone. In the run game, he maintains consistent energy when sorting through trash.
Lateral Mobility: Anudike-Uzomah displays great lateral agility skills allowing him to win in the stunt/twist game. His best plays are when he’s defending the quarterback boot plays and can have to quickly turn in the other direction.
Run Defense/Anchor: Anudike-Uzomah has great run defense skills due to his athleticism, lower half strength, and field vision. He does a great job reading the keys of the offensive lineman, seldom rushing too far upfield. Anudike-Uzomah creates good leverage with his first step and hand placement, getting a good initial punch to dictate drive blocks from offensive tackles. Anudike-Uzomah can struggle when countering reach blocks and can panic when working back to his inside gap. Despite this, Anudike-Uzomah’s natural tools can create plenty of opportunities with his natural tools.
Athletic Ability: Anudike-Uzomah is a great athlete which helps him win in a number of situations. He has little issue changing directions quickly when moving from gap to gap. His size/length allows him to be an effective gap penetrator with great flexibility.
Strength: Anudike-Uzomah has good strength in his lower half but isn’t elite in this regard. He can hold his own at the point of attack insofar his hands are set but can struggle against double teams.
Versatility: Anudike-Uzomah spent time as a stand-up edge rusher but was also used predominantly with his hand in the four-point stance. He can play a little bit inside as a 4i technique due to his strength and hand placement.