Former Arkansas defensive tackle McTelvin “Sosa” Agim got his name called on the second day of the NFL Draft on Friday night going in the third round with the 95th pick in the draft to Denver.
According to evaluations, Agim is projected as a development player with a huge upside.
A five-star prospect from Hope who enrolled a semester early, then played in all 13 games his freshman season with the Razorbacks, starting the final five (27 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks) to land on the SEC All-Freshman squad.
Agim started 11 of 12 games played as a sophomore (37 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles).
He led Arkansas with 10 tackles for loss in 12 starts in 2018, racking up 45 stops, 4.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Agim topped his squad with 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2019, posting 39 total tackles and forcing a fumble in 12 starts.
Here is the analysis of him at NFL.com, the league’s official website:
Agim is a work in progress with only one season as a full-time defensive tackle after playing defensive end previously. While his technique and fundamentals are still in a developmental stage as an interior defender, elements like hand placement and ball awareness are expected at defensive end, so it is a little disappointing they are behind. He has snap quickness to become a better one-gap penetrator and rush talent to build upon if he can attack with a better plan and more urgency. He’s not strong enough to withstand NFL power at the point of attack so development of strength and technique will be critical if he is to become a rotational 4-3 defensive tackle.
He is the seventh Razorback taken by the Broncos and the 272nd Arkansas football player drafted. The last Arkansas played selected by Denver was David Williams in 2018 (226th). At least one Razorback has been picked in each of the last 25 years of the NFL Draft, which ranks fourth in the SEC.
It also marks back-to-back years a Razorback defensive tackle has gone in the draft, as Armon Watts was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft.
With rookie salaries pre-determined in agreement with the players’ association, Agim will make approximately $825,000 as a rookie after making the team roster after training camp with a signing bonus that usually runs just under that amount.
