Mateen Ibirogba

DL3T·Texas Tech#126 overall
See where he lands →

Draft Movement

#113 · Jun 8#126 · now

Down 13 spots since Jun 8

Scouting Report

Mateen Ibirogba is a high-upside interior defensive lineman who transferred to Texas Tech for 2027 after a breakout 2025 at Wake Forest, and James Foster (NoFlagsFilm) calls him the most explosive 2027 DL he has watched. Originally from Clarksburg, Maryland, Ibirogba spent his first two seasons as a 250-pound edge rusher at FCS Georgetown, then redshirted his first year at Wake Forest while bulking up past 290 to move inside. At a well-leveraged 6'3", 296 pounds, he plays as a hybrid 3-tech who can win with power or speed around either shoulder. PFSN's Ian Cummings, who at one point ranked him as high as DT2 and No. 43 overall, raves about a lethal, hyper-elite first step rivaled only by the top names in the class, the explosion to rocket up gaps as a rusher or shoot across-face in the run game, and the compact mass to deliver bull-rushes and long-arms. He posted a strong 82.6 PFSN DTi grade and an exceptional 15.4% PFF pressure rate, finishing with the third-best pass-rush grade among starting ACC defensive tackles. The honest knocks are consistency and leverage: he is built a bit high-cut, drifts upward in his pads late in reps, can be displaced by double teams, and carried a sub-50% snap share. ESPN scout Matt Muench frames him as a disruptive gap-shooter with active hands and good closing burst, while BipsList grades the tape as flashes without consistency. The MockDraftDatabase consensus has him No. 59 for 2027 with a projected second-round outcome.

Strengths

  • Hyper-elite, lethal first step that PFSN rates among the best in the DL class
  • Explosion to rocket up gaps as a rusher or shoot across-face in the run game
  • Compact mass and length producing power on bull-rushes and long-arms, with a next-level-ready long-arm inside rush
  • 15.4% PFF pressure rate and 19 pressures despite a sub-50% snap share
  • Third-best pass-rush grade among starting ACC DTs per PFF
  • 82.6 PFSN DTi grade and 82.0 BipsList film grade
  • Versatile enough to win from 3-tech out to a 5-tech
  • High-effort motor with active hands and good closing burst for his size

Weaknesses

  • Built high-cut and high-hipped, leading to upward pad-level drift late in reps
  • Can be displaced and washed by interior double teams
  • Inconsistent leverage and technique, flashing rather than dominating snap to snap
  • Carried a sub-50% snap share, so the raw production is still building (2 sacks, 3.5 TFLs)
  • At times sells out to rip through gaps instead of holding gap leverage
  • Struggles to sustain power exertions with leg drive when blockers anchor

NFL Comparison

Levi Onwuzurike (Lions Wire comp; same explosive interior power and inside long-arm rush)

College Stats

Georgetown (FCS): two-year starter at ~250 lbs off the edge. Wake Forest 2025: 21 tackles, 19 pressures, 3.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 FF; 15.4% PFF pressure rate; 82.6 PFSN DTi grade; 3rd-best pass-rush grade among ACC starting DTs.

Measurables

Height
6'3"
Weight
296

Awards & Honors

PFSN No. 43 overall / DT2 peak on 2026 big board; MockDraftDatabase 2027 consensus No. 59, projected 2nd round; CBS Sports top-100 (No. 53); named a breakout DL of the 2025 season