You get points for being unique in the 2023 NFL Draft, and that’s something San Jose State EDGE Viliami Fehoko can boast with his scouting report. Though he sometimes gets drowned out in a deep positional class, Fehoko could be a diamond in the rough.
Viliami Fehoko NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Edge Rusher
- School: San Jose State
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
- Height/Weight: 6’4″, 263 pounds
Fehoko will have a future after football. He’s a communication studies major who can speak Tongan, as well as communicate in sign language. But for now, his journey on the football field is far from over. And if his final season is any indication, it’s just getting started.
Football has always been a family endeavor for Fehoko, whose second cousin is Vita Vea — Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle and former first-round pick. Fehoko might not go off the board quite that high, but he has a compelling résumé in his own right.
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Quietly, over the past three seasons, Fehoko has been one of the nation’s most dominant defensive linemen. Over that span, Fehoko has 142 tackles, 22 sacks, 44 tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, and five forced fumbles.
In 2022, Fehoko closed out his collegiate career with his best showing yet, amassing 19 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Not only did Fehoko earn national honors and a Shrine Bowl spot for his play, but he also earned new recognition on the 2023 NFL Draft stage. Once viewed as a PFA, there’s talk that Fehoko could be rising up the board — and fast.
Viliami Fehoko Scouting Report
Strengths
- Explosive athlete with great power capacity, derived from burst, length, and mass.
- Surges into contact with full extensions and can stress blockers with knock-back power.
- Surprisingly twitched-up rusher for his size, who can rush from different alignments.
- Has shown he can multitask at the apex, using cross-chops while pressing the corner.
- Carries a defined arsenal of moves, including swims, speed-to-power, spins, and rips.
- Has enough ankle flexion to reduce his surface area and pry around blocks.
- Violent, energetic player in close quarters who can torque blockers aside with force.
- Has searing closing burst in pursuit and can envelop hapless quarterbacks.
Areas for Improvement
- Proportional length is not elite, putting a slight cap on maximum power capacity.
- Sometimes lacks synergy between upper and lower body, inhibiting coordination.
- Can struggle to maintain leverage through reps and work himself off-balance.
- At times, can do a better job functionally loading and driving power with hands.
- Can more consistently sustain leg drive when stunting inside and attacking gaps.
- Doesn’t always bring the hand strength necessary to negate opposing extensions.
- Relatively upright rusher overall, who lacks an elite bend component.
San Jose State EDGE Viliami Fehoko Current Draft Projection
Viliami Fehoko is a priority Day 3 prospect who could potentially sneak into the top 100 picks with a good offseason. Being from San Jose State, he doesn’t always get the buzz that Power Five prospects receive. But Fehoko is a complete and versatile player with exciting potential at the NFL level.
At 6’4″, 263 pounds, with arms around 33″ long, Fehoko has a strong frame, and he couples it with both a high-energy play style and a high-energy brand of athleticism. He’s explosive and twitched-up, powerful, and violent in close quarters and flexible across the front.
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On top of his complete physical skill set, Fehoko also has a working arsenal of pass-rushing moves implementing both power and finesse, and he has enough ankle flexion to corner around blockers as well. He doesn’t have elite bend or torso flexibility, which can hinder him at the apex, but he has enough to work with in conjunction with his other traits.
Despite his arsenal of moves, Fehoko can be more consistent in maintaining both leverage and synergy as a pass rusher, both to maximize his functional power and timing. But with Fehoko, you have an alignment-versatile defensive lineman who can stunt inside or attack from 5-tech outward as a stand-up rusher with his burst, power, and active hands.
Early on in his career, Fehoko can be a valuable rotational piece in hybrid fronts with his complete pallet of traits. And there’s an outcome where he continues to iron out his game and develops into a solid starting edge defender with three-down utility and interior capabilities.