A fifth-round pick out of Minnesota, Esezi Otomewo has carved out a journeyman NFL career as a rotational defensive tackle across three franchises.
Esezi Otomewo is a defensive tackle who played his college ball close to home at Minnesota before beginning an NFL journey that has taken him from the Vikings to the Jaguars and now to Pittsburgh. He remains a depth piece fighting for a larger role along the defensive line.
Path to the league
Otomewo played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2017 to 2021, appearing in 46 games and recording 81 tackles. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in his final season before the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the fifth round, 165th overall, of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Otomewo made his NFL debut with the Vikings in Week 14 of his rookie season. He later spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a practice squad deal and a reserve/future contract before signing a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2025.
2025 season recap
Otomewo has been used sparingly through his career, with career totals of 18 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery across his time in the league through 2025. He re-signed with Pittsburgh on another one-year deal in March 2026 as he continues competing for defensive line snaps.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Esezi Otomewo
- ESPN: Esezi Otomewo
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
12 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | steelers | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | jaguars | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | vikings | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Minnesota
- Hometown
- Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
