Dane Brugler's The Beast 2025

[*Synric*]

Omarr Norman-Lott is in for a top 30 visit and he is one of my favorite fits for the Bengals.

Quote:BACKGROUND: Omarr Norman-Lott was born in Sacramento, Calif., before moving to the San Diego area with his mother (Flora Norman) at age 2.
He signed up for flag football at age 7 and played on the of f ensive and defensive lines throughout youth ball. At age 10, his family returned to the Sacramento area, and Norman-Lott leaned on football as an escape from negative influences in his neighborhood. Once he started receiving college interest in high school, his mother sent him to live with his aunt and uncle in Vallejo, Calif., for a stretch to keep him focused on his future. He also trained as a boxer growing up and continued boxing as a junior and senior in high school. While enrolled at Arizona State, Norman-Lott became a bouncer at a local nightclub to earn extra money.

THE BEAST | BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 342 Norman-Lott attended Grant Union High in Sacramento County, where he was a three-year letterman on varsity. He played both ways on the defensive line and as an of f ensive tackle. As a junior, Norman-Lott emerged as a major recruit with 45 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and two forced fumbles, helping Grant Union to the 2018 Division II state playof f s. The team struggled to win games during his senior season, but he still earned honorable mention all-metro honors in 2019 (45 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown).

A four-star recruit, Norman-Lott was the 34th-ranked defensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 29 recruit in California. After his breakout junior season, he received an of f er from Arizona State (Jan. 2019). Norman-Lott had a connection to the Sun Devils: His main recruiter, defensive line coach Jamar Cain, is Norman-Lott's uncle (Norman-Lott was ring bearer at Cain's wedding). He was hosted on his campus visit by wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and developed a connection with the rest of Herm Edwards' coaching staf f . Before his senior season, Norman-Lott added of f ers from Arizona, Boise State, Texas A&M, USC and others but committed to Arizona State in October 2019. He was caught of f guard when Cain (currently defensive line coach for the Denver Broncos) opted to take a job as Oklahoma's defensive line coach after the 2019 season.
Norman-Lott didn't waver on his commitment to Arizona State, however, and was the 10th-ranked recruit in Edwards' 2020 class.
After his first two seasons, Norman-Lott entered the transfer portal in April 2022 to "explore his options" before withdrawing his name a week later. He again entered the portal after the 2022 season and committed to Tennessee. Norman-Lott has three pets: a cat (Goddess), dog (Bella) and calico ball python (Juju). Norman-Lott accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS:
● Compact ball of energy with massive, stif f hands
● Flashes upfield burst and lateral quickness to play in gaps
● Explodes from low position to leverage point of attack
● Will change line of scrimmage with his ability to roll his hips into contact and create movement
● Erases reach of blockers with fierce club/swipe moves
● Will break out jab and Euro steps to give blockers the slip
● Able to bench press himself of f bodies with upper-body strength
● Impressive redirect and range to chase down plays away from line of scrimmage
● Motor stays cranked
● Finished second on team in pressures in 2024, despite being a part-time player

WEAKNESSES:
● Not a starter — averaged just 17.3 defensive snaps per game in 2024
● Always looking to jump the snap, which backfires at times (three of f sides penalties in 2024)
● Can be stalled, moved or uprooted once blockers get into him
● Loses angles in run game, leaving him late to shed or regain positioning
● Plays in overdrive and has trouble breaking down as tackler (unusually high 33.3 percent missed tackle rate in 2024)
● Highly penalized player — 12 flags over his two seasons at Tennessee
● Known as an emotional player and was part of a post-game altercation against Florida (September 2023); suspended for the first half of the following game
● Missed multiple games in 2022 and 2023 because of minor injuries

SUMMARY:
A part-time player at Tennessee, Norman-Lott was a subpackage three-technique in defensive coordinator Tim Banks' four-man front. Since he played limited snaps on the Vols' heavy-rotation defensive line (20th on the team in defensive snaps in 2024), his production volume doesn't jump out, but he led all FBS interior defensive linemen in 2024 in pass rush win rate (12.6 percent) and win percentage (18.9 percent).

Often the first defender to cross the line of scrimmage, Norman-Lott is a twitched-up big man with a diverse skill set to win one-on-one matchups with quickness, power or leverage. He uses sound hand/move fundamentals but leaves a lot of tackle production on the field and needs to play with better control.

Overall, Norman-Lott is an explosive disruptor and of f ers high upside for a coaching staf f that can harness his energy, although he will need to improve his undisciplined tendencies, especially in the run game. There is no doubt about his NFL talent, but his ability to handle more of a full-time role is a tricky projection.

GRADE: 3rd-4th round