Mohamed Kamara is one of the most disruptive Group of Five defensive prospects in this year’s NFL Draft.
For example, when Colorado State and San Diego State were scoreless in a 2023 Mountain West clash, Kamara went ahead and provided the Rams some points.
SDSU was at its own 4-yard line midway through the first quarter. Aztecs quarterback Jalen Mayden caught a shotgun snap, and within three seconds, Kamara reached him.
Kamara stutter stepped, swiped away the hands of an SDSU offensive tackle, and tracked Mayden down behind the Aztecs’ own goal line for a safety.
Kamara proved in college he’s a game-changer, regardless if he played for a G5 team.
“If you’re good, they’re going to find you,” Kamara said at the NFL Combine. “I feel like there’s a stigma behind (the Group of Five). But I feel like the people who actually watch football or the people who actually coach football understand my game, too. I’m here for a reason. Regardless of it was Group of Five, we’re here for a reason. And there’s a few guys who are from a Group of Five (conference) and are here, and they can rock with the best.
“I was at the East-West (Shrine Bowl) and I did my thing over there. And those are, quote unquote, bigger names, too. So it didn’t really bother me. There’s only me, a blocker, and a quarterback. So I don’t care what team you came from. You’re going to have to stop me at the end of the day.”
Where Did Mohamed Kamara Get Drafted?
Kamara was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was selected with the 158th overall pick.
“Whatever round I get to go to, it really doesn’t matter,” Kamara said. “It’s really about how can you stay on that team? That’s the real question.”
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What Was Mohamed Kamara’s 40 Time?
Kamara was third among defensive ends with a 4.57-second 40 at the NFL Combine.
At 6-foot-1, 248 pounds, he also tied for fifth in his position group with 23 bench press reps and tied for sixth with a broad jump of 10 feet, 3 inches.
Kamara showed he has the athleticism to be an NFL player. His size might be a concern for some teams, but he believes it’s an advantage. It helps him gain leverage against larger offensive linemen.
“You’ve got to come to my level to block me,” Kamara said. “At the end of the day, the offensive lineman is blocking me. I’m not blocking him. He’s protecting the quarterback. I don’t protect the quarterback. I’m going to go attack. … I use it to my advantage to be honest. A lot of people say, ‘Dang, you touched the ground.’ (If you’re) seven feet tall, that’s a long way from the ground. I’m close to the ground, so I’m going to use it to my advantage.”
Mohamed Kamara’s Stats and Highlights
Kamara was one of the best pass rushers in the FBS in 2023.
He was top five in the country with 13 sacks and 64 pressures while chalking up 56 tackles and 17 TFLs. Pro Football Focus ranked him 15th among all EDGE players.
In 2022, he tallied 44 tackles and 16 TFLs, ranking second in the Mountain West with 1.33 TFLs per game, to go with 8.5 sacks, which was third in the conference. The year before, Kamara totaled 36 tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks.
“Just be adaptable,” Kamara said of what he learned at CSU. “Roll with the punches. Keep the easy things easy, because at one point it’s gonna get hard. And that’s fine. Just be true to yourself.”
Kamara also had a successful Shrine Bowl. So now with plenty of tape going against Power Five players and measurables as good as nearly any FBS player at his position in this class, NFL teams will have to seriously consider drafting Kamara.
Still, he isn’t content.
“People tell me I did good, but I had a lot of pressures,” he said of the Shrine Bowl. “I wanted sacks. Just getting there is not enough. I’m never going to be satisfied with just getting a couple of touches. I want sacks. I want to change the game. I’m grateful that I had that opportunity because I was able to go against people who were, quote unquote, bigger names, bigger schools and stuff like that. And you know, it shed some light to my game that I need to work on.”
Mohamed Kamara’s NFL Comparison And Draft Profile
My NFL comparison for Kamara is Jerry Hughes. At 6-2, 256 pounds, Hughes also isn’t the largest defensive end, but he adapted and has been in the NFL for more than a decade.
Kamara believes his biggest strength is his determination and hustle, and that certainly stands out on tape. He has a high motor and is around the ball constantly.
He possesses a solid blend of power and speed. That allowed CSU to line him up at essentially every spot on the Rams’ defensive line, which illustrates his versatility. However, he might not be asked to do that in the NFL because of his size.
Kamara’s first few steps after the snap are extremely explosive. He easily outraced some offensive tackles to the edge while showing exceptional bend several times in college. He can also use that quickness to change directions and cut back inside in an instant.
Kamara constantly hunted for the ball in college, so if he gets to a quarterback in the NFL, he should be capable of a few strip sacks. His hands and feet are always active, so he also can bring down ball carriers with second or third efforts if he’s blocked right away.
Kamara wasn’t awful against the run, either. He was among the top 75 EDGE rushers who played at least 462 snaps in PFF’s run defense grades last season.
His frame will be a concern and why he probably won’t go in the first round. He also didn’t showcase a wide repertoire of pass-rush moves, so he will have to expand his game a bit at the pro level.
He could very well be a Day 2 pick. But for now, he’s simply aiming to earn a place on a roster.
“Making a 53-man roster and being on that team and sticking it out and even being a practice player, it shows more resilience than most people can fathom unless you understand getting hit in the mouth and falling and getting back up,” he said. “I’ve been playing all my life and not every day’s been successful. So the goal is to be on that roster.”
