The New Orleans Saints signed former Nebraska running back Devine Ozigbo as a rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft, and he could be exactly what the team needs after losing Mark Ingram. Ozigbo excelled in outside zone blocking plays in his senior year at Nebraska — which new head coach Scott Frost installed in his first year with the team — but charting from Pro Football Focus confirms that Ozigbo is more than someone who just has to beat opponents to the edge to make a play. He can run up the gut with the best of them.
Per Pro Football Focus, Ozigbo converted nearly half (42) of his 93 carries between the tackles for a first down or ended up in the end zone. That’s impressive by itself, but he also averaged a monstrous 6.7 yards per carry on those runs, with 4.7 yards gained after making first contact with an opponent. In other words, his offense line typically gave him two yards of clean running room, and that was all he needed to get going. A success rate over 45-percent on these carries is rare, and proves that he’s someone who can take advantage when he’s put in scoring position or trusted to convert a critical down.
Ozigbo is set to enter training camp as the fourth guy on the depth chart, with Alvin Kamara locked in to start and Latavius Murray signed as an (at best) lateral move from Ingram behind him. Ozigbo will have to outplay Dwayne Washington, who mad some waves on special teams coverage last year, to earn playing time. But he’s got enough ability to threaten Murray as the second name on the depth chart later in the season, if all goes well.
