Indianapolis Colts Draft Workout Wonder Adetomiwa Adebawore In His Hometown

Adetomiwa Adebawore (pronounced add-E-TOMMY-wah add-E-BAR-e) got to fulfill his goal of hearing his name called at the draft theater in Kansas City, where he was born and raised.

“That is something that stood out for him for a very long time,” said Leon Douglas, his high school coach at North Kansas City High.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Adebawore with the eighth pick of the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Despite the excitement of getting drafted in his hometown, the Northwestern defensive lineman was selected much later than anticipated. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah figured he’d go late in the second round, and ESPN’s Todd McShay called the 110th overall pick the “steal” of round four.

The reason most expected him to be picked much earlier was the athleticism he displayed at the NFL Combine.

The 6’2”, 282-pounder ran a 4.49, the fastest 40 time at the Combine for someone weighing more than 270 pounds since 2003.

He also broad jumped 10 feet, 5 inches and had a 37.5-inch vertical leap.

“His level of explosiveness has always stood out,” Douglas said. “You could see the burst, you could see the level of speed.”

Douglas still uses presentations of the gains Adebawore made in the weight room as an inspiring example to other students on what hard work can accomplish.

During his freshman year, Adebawore, who did not play football in middle school, weighed 201 pounds, benched 150 pounds, squatted 215 and hang cleaned 190. By his senior year, he weighed 257 pounds, benched 345, squatted 540 and hang cleaned 405.

Despite his elite athleticism, his production in college was good — not great.

He recorded 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, including five sacks and two forced fumbles last year, during his four years at Northwestern.

“On the field he shows you some of that inside/outside versatility,” Jeremiah said during a conference call. “He knows how to use his long arms to set the edge. I didn’t think he was a real polished pass rusher. I didn’t think he had a great gameplan as a rusher, but I think when you have the combination of explosiveness and length that he has, he is an intriguing guy.”

Jeremiah noted Adebawore’s versatility, and many of have listed him as a defensive end. McShay thinks he ultimately will be a three-technique interior player, meaning he will line up to the outside shoulder of the offensive guard. (That is where interior disruptors like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones often operate.)

Despite that versatility and athleticism, Adebawore’s draft slide will cost him.

Rookie deals are slotted and will be similar to those who were picked in the same spots last year.

The Baltimore Ravens signed offensive lineman Daniel Faalele, last year’s 110th pick, to a four-year, $4.5 million contract, including $800,340 guaranteed and an average annual salary of $1.1 million.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, the final pick of the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, received a four-year, $5.8 million deal.

Because he was drafted in the fourth round, Adebawore, whose parents were born in Nigeria before moving to the United States in the 1990s and whose younger brother plays at Oklahoma, did not take the stage in his native Kansas City and shake Roger Goodell’s hand.

But he will return to a familiar setting. He played in the 2020 Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Colts.