If Mohamed Kamara were three inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, he might be a Day 1 NFL Draft pick. Instead, the Colorado State defensive end stands 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds.
Despite being slightly undersized, Kamara recorded 13 sacks in 2023 and won Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. The high-motor athlete with an explosive burst is an NFL Draft prospect, but he deserves more hype than he’s currently receiving.
Kamara’s athleticism and production are no joke, as he recorded at least seven sacks in each of the last three seasons of his college career. In his final two years, Kamara finished with 33 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks.
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Pass Rush Specialist?
Given the quarterback-driven nature of the NFL, teams are always looking for pass-rushing standouts. Kamara fits that mold.
While capable of stopping the run, he shined as a pass rusher. Kamara often uses speed and counter moves to shift around offensive tackles, and he possesses impressive power and strength for an undersized player.
Kamara occasionally rushed the passer from a defensive tackle position, and he showcased enough strength to overpower guards. He’s not 280 pounds, but he plays much stronger than his listed weight, which allowed him to become a dominant force at the Group of Five level in 2022 and 2023.
He averaged just over a sack per game in 2023, one of the five best marks in the country. Kamara arguably garnered less attention than his game demanded because of Colorado State’s mediocre season.
The Rams went just 5-7 in 2023, failing to make a bowl game. Still, Kamara was a special player for the program and demonstrated his NFL ability throughout the 2023 season. He was particularly disruptive in a rivalry game against Colorado, finishing the game with a pair of sacks.
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Good Energy
Kamara’s initial burst and strength are evident on tape, but his motor might be one of his best attributes. It’d be easy enough for a player on an average team to slow down during the fourth quarter of lopsided games or games without much consequence, but that’s not the case with Kamara.
He plays with an energy level and effort that never seems to wane. The consistency of Kamara’s games helped him tally double-digit sacks in 2023.
Offensive linemen seemed to eventually tire as Kamara relentlessly pursued quarterbacks. His motor, which was on full go even with his team down double digits at times, makes Kamara an intriguing NFL prospect.
He might not have prototypical NFL defensive lineman size, but Kamara plays hard and holds the skills needed to land on an NFL roster as an edge rusher. He’s an underrated player in this year’s draft, and he’s more than capable of developing into a starter at the professional level.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
