Kitan Oladapo, SAF, Oregon State
Size:
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 216 pounds
Arm Length: 32 3/8"
Hand Size: 9 1/4"
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-Pac-12 (2022) • All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (2021)
“Kitan Oladapo is a big and versatile safety who can wear many hats to affect the opposing offense.”
Strengths:
Run support/defense
Closing burst and acceleration
Relentless pursuit
Experienced (3-year starter)
Alignment flexibility
Concerns:
Rigid/segmented transitions
Tackling consistency
Eyes on QB in backfield
Film Analysis:
The best way to describe Kitan Oladapo is a Swiss Army knife. He is adaptable to different roles and needs of the defense. Oladapo is an effective blitzing defender who disrupts the quarterback. From a coverage standpoint, Oladapo can cover a variety of positions like slot wide receivers and tight ends. His size and athleticism point directly to the coverage skills he possesses. He said I’ll walk down into the nickel/slot in man-to-man coverage, confidently. He trusts his abilities to stick with his target.
Oladapo is a disciplined defender with run fits. He acts as a plus-one in the run game working in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage. He does a good job closing the door to his lane, forcing the ball-carrier to slow down their feet to find another exit. He triggers downhill with a good temperament.
Oladapo can stand to clean up his open-field tackling. He doesn’t consistently square up and wrap up the ball-carrier. Using proper leverage will help also. Oladapo is a good athlete on tape, but his transitions in coverage to change directions are not fluid—there are some rigid movements. In coverage, he can be caught with his eyes in the backfield on the QB. Oladapo has the skill set to make more plays on the ball in coverage—only three interceptions since 2019.
Oladapo projects as a developmental starting safety. The combination of size, versatility, and athleticism is more than enough for an NFL team to develop over time. Oladapo has a lot to work with. A potential TE matchup weapon.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: Oregon (2023), Washington (2023), UCLA (2023), Notre Dame (2023)
