Eric O’Neill Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Rutgers Athletics)
School: Rutgers
Class: Redshirt Senior
Position: EDGE
HT: 6’3
WT: 261 lbs
Background: Eric O’Neill was a low 3-star recruit in the class of 2021 out of Staten Island. He played his high school ball for Tottenville High School on the island. Eric was a dean’s list student on top of being both an all-district and all-state football player. In addition to his success on the field, O’Neill played basketball at Tottenville. Despite offers from bigger programs, O’Neill chose to play for Long Island University.
College: O’Neill redshirted as a true freshman in 2021, before becoming a starter for the Sharks in 2022. He was named an FCS All-American by multiple outlets and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award. He totaled an incredible 21 TFLs to go with 10 sacks. He was named an FCS All-American again in 2023 while also being a finalist for the FCS Defensive Player of the Year award. These honors come from a season in which he had 23.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. Before the 2024 campaign, Eric O’Neill transferred to James Madison. He was named an All-American by College Football Network with 18.5 TFLs and 13 sacks. He was also a First Team All-Sun Belt selection that season. For his final collegiate season, he transferred to Rutgers. In his lone season with the Scarlet Knights, he posted 9.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks.
Strengths: Eric O’Neill gets out of his stance in a hurry. He erupts upwards and into the pads of the offensive tackle. He generates natural leverage by shooting up to contact point from a lower angle. Each step generates such momentum, he has truly ground-shaking strides. His strength and power allows him to kick inside when necessary. He can plug gaps in the run game and get to the ball carrier to get a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. He is a smart rusher with high football IQ, showing in both pass rush and run defense. He sets the edge and contains effectively when needed in the run game. When his initial rush is brought to a halt, he wastes no time getting to his counter rush. His counter rush consistently overwhelms tackles and gets O’Neill to the quarterback. He has a deep toolkit at his disposal in terms of pass rushing moves to win any rep.
Weaknesses: O’Neill’s lack of production in a power conference is alarming. His numbers at JMU were much better against worse competition. When the opponent gets into Eric’s chest, he tends to get washed out in the run game. He doesn’t have the lower body strength to plant and redirect blocks. As an undersized edge rusher, longer offensive tackles give him a world of trouble. Length overwhelms him in the phone booth and he is susceptible to getting long armed.
Conclusion: Eric O’Neill is an electric edge rusher with a high motor that doesn’t quit. He plays through the whistle and his will to win never lowers, showing in his success on the counter rush. He is at a natural disadvantage with his size and it is unlikely that he can add much more muscle mass due to his lack of ideal height for the position.
Best Team Fits: HOU, BAL, LVR
Player Comparison: Javon Solomon
Player Grade: Round 6 (48.4)
