Mike Still is a sports writer for The Manitoban in Canada (Winnipeg) and he was nice enough to take some time to fill us in on the Saints’ 4th round draft pick. Many thanks to him for the time. Make sure to check him out on twitter. I think you’re going to enjoy this Q&A below, he gives a real ringing endorsement of Onyemata and leaves a lot of hope for this pick turning into something special.
Saints Nation: I have to admit, I went through grieving stages at first with the Saints picking Onyemata, especially since it involved a trade up. Shock, outrage, sadness, acceptance, then hope. I’m sure you can understand, when your NFL team drafts a guy that played college ball in Canada for 4 years by way of Nigeria, it’s not a guy I had in my head as the ideal candidate for a talent needy roster. The more I read up, though, the more I like. What’s most to like about Onyemata?
Mike Still of The Manitoban: There’s a number of things that really burst off the page when talking about David Onyemata, however I think the thing that should get fans in New Orleans most excited is his motor. He never took a play off on defence and most of the time was included somewhere in the final scrum on a tackle, regardless as to whether or not the play ended anywhere near where he lined up. I think one thing that a lot of people forget is the fact that he was double-teamed on essentially every snap in 2015 and at times in 2014 as well, however he was still able to be involved in a number of plays and was right up in there for Manitoba in terms of QB sacks and pressures. He’s a tireless worker, both in practice as well as on the field and that’s exactly what the Saints can expect.
I think the big question on every Saints fan’s mind is – how can we expect him to contribute anytime soon when you consider the level of competition he went up against (compared to the NFL)?
While in the CIS, David went up against top-level Canadian talent–specifically against teams such as UBC and Calgary–who boasted centre Sean McEwan, a fellow East-West Shrine Game participant in 2016 and a first round pick of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts a year prior. He battled against guys who have been playing football their entire lives and did more than perform. Additionally, he impressed in one-on-one drills at the Shrine Game against some of the top prospects the NCAA had to offer. I’m not in any way worried about David’s ability to come in and contribute. Yes, he’s raw, however he’s also proven on numerous occasions (such as those above) that he’s a quick learner and has the speed-size combination to make a difference in the NFL.
Onyemata never played football until 4 years ago when he picked it up as a hobby to pass time. Can you speak about his growth and development over the last four years as you’ve witnessed it? Any tidbits about him as a person?
As I mentioned above, David is a very quick learner. I’ve had the pleasure of watching him grow as a player over the past four years and it’s truly been exciting to see him mold into a dominant CIS talent. When he first entered Bison football head coach Brian Dobie’s office four years ago and asked if he could try out the sport, coach Dobie said yes, but if he missed a single practice, that would be it. David stayed patient and diligent on the practice field as well as in the weight room and in film study and soaked up everything he could from his teammates. That’s part of the reason he’s become the player he is today is simply his desire to learn and get better every day. He’s also an incredibly smart person with an amazing personality. He’s very soft spoken and one of the most humble people you will ever get the chance to meet. Even amidst his rise to become an NFL draft pick, he’s stayed super humble and dedicated and that’s what the Saints will be getting. A tireless worker with a phenomenal attitude.
I’ve seen play some 5 tech, most notably at the East-West Shrine game where he did well. He’s listed as a 3 tech DT most places, though. Where do you see him fitting in at the NFL level?
David has at times admitted that he sees himself more as a DT and I would have to agree. While he’s got great speed and power off the edge (as was evidenced by his play in the Shrine Game as well as certain 3-4 packages with the Bisons), he’s more beneficial to an NFL team at DT due to the fact that he can plug up the middle while still being able to get to the quarterback. Personally, by slotting him at the 3-tech, I believe you’re utilizing his athletic abilities more effectively and giving him the chance to do more in certain sub-packages.
What can we realistically expect out of Onyemata at the NFL level? Will he make the roster and play in regular season games? Do you expect to see him in the Saints rotation? What is his ceiling?
For David, the sky is the limit. I can absolutely see him making the Saints roster and competing for a job in the rotation within the next few years. Naturally, there will be a learning curve much like there was in the CIS, however David has proven time and time again that he’s ready to take on whatever challenge is presented to him. His story isn’t much different to that of Israel Idonije, another former U of M Bison and fellow defensive lineman who also picked up the game in his later years and went on to play a big role with the Chicago Bears in the mid-2000s. In my opinion, David is even more athletic than Israel was, and the bottom line will simply come down to how hard David is willing to work to better himself as a player. Personally, I’m not worried about the latter whatsoever.
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