The 2024 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo plans on taking full advantage. Oladapo recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Oladapo also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, playing interchangeable roles as a versatile safety, how he’d write his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Oladapo better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Kitan Oladapo: It was the week we were preparing for the Washington game. I believe that was our 11th game of the season. Coach Smith asked me to come visit him in his office. I was talking to my teammate Taliese Fuaga. We had a pretty good feeling that we’d both be receiving invites. This happened right before our team meeting. We went to the coaches’ office and got our invites.
We were so excited. We were locker mates so we’re excited to go out together one more time.
JM: I’m sure it was great to share that moment with Taliese Fuaga. What motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
Kitan Oladapo: I received an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl last year when I decided to return to Oregon State for another season. I was really hoping to get that Senior Bowl invite this year. I wanted to compete against the best of the best.
JM: Getting a bit more specific, what are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Kitan Oladapo: I want to prove that I’m a three-down player that can do everything. I can blitz, cover, and play in the box. I know I’m getting some Kyle Hamilton and Kam Chancellor comparisons. I think I’m one of a kind. I can do it all.
JM: So if you were writing your own scouting report, how would you describe your skill set in your own words? Self-scout yourself.
Kitan Oladapo: I’m a big safety that can move. I can fit any scheme. I can blitz because I’m effective at getting after the quarterback. I can go out there and cover slot receivers and tight ends in man coverage. I’m extremely rangy on the back end. I can play post over the top. I can fit the run.
I have weaknesses that I’m working on. I’m working to become a better tackler in space. I need to do a better job keeping my leverage and changing direction with those quicker, smaller receivers. I want to have more ball production moving forward as well because I think I have good ball skills. I need to put more of that on tape.
JM: You flashed some of those ball skills this past season by posting career-highs in pass breakups (10) and interceptions (2) this season. What led to better ball production in 2023?
Kitan Oladapo: I really believed and trusted in my abilities. When those plays came my way, I had better confidence in my ability to finish. I executed at the catch point. A lot of film work went into the improved numbers. I learned more about quarterback tendencies. I paid close attention to the go-to receiver of each weekly opponent. At the end of the day, it was about trusting my abilities.
JM: If you had to compare yourself to a current NFL safety, who would you choose and why?
Kitan Oladapo: That’s a tough question. I would probably pick Derwin James. He’s a hard-hitting safety like I am. We’re both good blitzers. The defense flows through Derwin James. He can play in the post and get after the ball. He’s a difference-maker. That’s what I want to be at the next level.
JM: He’s a special player. As a safety in today’s pass-happy NFL, how important is it for you to be interchangeable with your safety partner, to complement each other’s skill sets and vice versa?
Kitan Oladapo: It’s very important. As far as knowing what your teammate is doing, that just helps the defense flow better. Trust is a big component with your safety partner in that defensive backfield. Maybe I’m banged up on this play. You play inside the box, I’ll play the post. You have to be interchangeable based on circumstance, down and distance, and so on.
That’s what we did at Oregon State. You have to be confident in your teammates' ability to secure the boundary. You need to establish that trust with your safety partner.
JM: What’s on Kitan Oladapo’s pre-game playlist?
Kitan Oladapo: I listen to whatever I’m feeling that day. Maybe some Young Thug and Gunna. Lil Uzi Vert and Pop Smoke are also on the playlist. I listen to more laid-back music on the bus. I might listen to Luther Vandross and Anita Baker on the bus.
JM: From Young Thug to Anita Baker. That’s a first.
Kitan Oladapo: We have some range, bro (laughs). I might throw on some Burna Boy and then some Afrobeats. I listen to some Wizkid. It’s really whatever I’m feeling.
JM: The playlist is as rangy as you are. I ’ve appreciated your time (laughs). At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Kitan Oladapo?
Kitan Oladapo: A successful Senior Bowl means my draft stock rose throughout a good week of practice and interviews. It means that I showed the GMs and scouts that I’m somebody they want to have on their team. I’m going to pour my heart out while playing the best for my team.
I’m not a selfish player. I’m a defensive weapon at the end of the day. Whatever scheme you want to place me in, I can fit and execute that. Hopefully, my draft stock is going to improve at the Senior Bowl. Hopefully, they’ll call my name a little earlier than everyone is expecting.
