Former Oklahoma defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe has traveled a long and tenuous road to the NFL Draft, filled with lawsuits and uncertainty about his playing future. Now the former Sooner star defensive tackle is working to hear his named called next weekend, and the Philadelphia Eagles could be a great landing spot for Bledsoe.
Bledsoe had another year of eligibility remaining but elected to declare early after recording 37 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks, as a junior. He started 22 of 30 games throughout his career, amassing 59 total stops, 7.5 tackles for loss and four career sacks.
During his final season in Norman, Bledsoe racked up All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors from the league’s coaches.
Bledsoe entered the NFL Draft after a tumultuous process that saw him sue the NCAA for eligibility lost after he was suspended him for failing a random drug test administered in 2016 when he tested positive for a banned substance he says he took unknowingly.
Bledsoe was hit by the NCAA with a one-year suspension and it included a lost year that has him with no remaining eligibility after the 2018 season.
An imposing presence at 6′ 5″, 287 pounds, Bledsoe could be a value pick for Howie Roseman and the Eagles in the later rounds, as a guy who is versatile enough to play defensive end or defensive tackle, while spending a season or two learning from Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson and Brandon Graham. He could eventually fill the run-stopper, pass rusher role filled by Vinny Curry currently.
