Senior Bowl Diary: Attaochu Could Be a Fit


MOBILE, Ala. – Jeremiah Attaochu considers himself a problem-solver.

So when the Georgia Tech outside linebacker was in Nashville, Tenn. for the Music City Bowl last month and discovered there was no microwave to cook his chicken wings in his hotel, he decided to use other resources.

“It was crazy,” Attaochu said this week at the Senior Bowl. “It showed up on the news the next day. …I ate the wings. It was a real-life emergency. And when you have real-life emergencies, you do real-life things.”

Attaochu (6-3 1/4, 252 pounds) is a player to watch in the coming months as the Eagles look to upgrade their talent at outside linebacker. He began his career as a rush linebacker in Georgia Tech’s 3-4, but the team switched to a 4-3 his senior year. Attaochu showed he could be productive in either scheme, totaling 12.5 sacks as a senior (sixth in the country) and 10 as a junior (19th).

“It was a blessing in disguise for me to tune up my pass-rushing skills and work on my hands and the closer aspects of the game,” Attaochu said. “And I felt like I did a great job of doing that throughout the season. It kind of made me a complete player.”

Attaochu emphasized that he’s willing to do whatever coaches ask, but he thinks he’s better as a stand-up linebacker, rather than a 4-3 defensive end. In 2013, he was not asked to drop back into coverage, but Attaochu showed the versatility to play backwards earlier in his career.

Eagles outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern should be familiar with Attaochu, having coached in the same conference (at Boston College) before joining Chip Kelly’s staff.

“I talked to Coach McGovern,” Attaochu said. “He’s a great guy. He just wanted to know a little bit about me and told me about the process. Just told me how he’s gonna keep in touch with me and try to get to know me better between now and the combine.”

With Trent Cole turning 32 next season and Brandon Graham entering the final year of his contract, outside linebacker is a priority position for the Eagles this offseason. That makes Attaochu a player to watch in the coming months.

Early projections have him as a second- or third-round pick. Below are a couple cut-ups of Attaochu, courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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