BO #9

BJ Ojulari

Linebacker · LSU

A second-round LSU pass rusher fighting to reclaim his rookie-year form after a devastating multi-ligament knee injury.

BJ Ojulari is an edge rusher for the Arizona Cardinals, selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of LSU. A strong rookie season was followed by a serious knee injury that sidelined him for a lengthy stretch, and he spent 2025 working his way back onto the field.

★ Second-round pick (No. 41 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft

★ First-team All-SEC selection at LSU (2022)

★ One of two Cardinals rookies to play all 17 games in 2023

Path to the league

Ojulari, born Jamiu Bolaji Ojulari, grew up in Marietta, Georgia, where he set a school record with 19 sacks as a senior. At LSU, he earned first-team All-SEC honors as a junior in 2022 and finished his college career with 16.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss over three seasons. The Cardinals signed him to a four-year contract as their second-round pick (No. 41 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. His brother, Azeez Ojulari, is also an NFL pass rusher, drafted in the second round by the New York Giants in 2021.

Career highlights

Ojulari was one of only two rookies to play all 17 games for Arizona in 2023, finishing with 40 tackles, 4.0 sacks, six quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and a pass defensed. He later suffered a significant knee injury, tearing his ACL, LCL and lateral meniscus, which required extensive rehab and an additional procedure for a kneecap subluxation.

2025 season recap

Ojulari opened the 2025 season on the PUP list while recovering from his knee injury and was designated to return on October 28. He made his season debut against San Francisco on November 16 and went on to appear in eight games, totaling eight tackles, 1.0 sack and three quarterback hits, including his first sack of the year against Atlanta on December 21.