The 2019 NFL Draft was kind to Oklahoma, at least when you talk offensively. The Sooners had eight offensive players selected, including the No. 1 overall pick.

Defense? The defense was shut out for the first time since 1995. That was not going to happen again. Linebacker Kenneth Murray made sure of that in the first round Thursday, and now defensive tackle Neville Gallimore is joining him.

Gallimore was selected 82nd overall in the 3rd round by the Dallas Cowboys on Friday evening.

2019 stats: 30 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Career stats: 148 tackles, 18 TFL, 9 sacks, 5 forced fumbles

You never really know what you’re going to get when you take a chance on a Canadian high school prospect, but Gallimore was worth it.

His athletic ability was off the charts, but everybody knew his production had to start equaling his potential because his potential had been talked about for years

He had some moments in 2017-18, but things came together when defensive coordinator Alex Grinch came in and changes the scheme. Gallimore was allowed to be aggressive and make things happen, and he did.

His max effort was brought out and the athletic ability never went away. He’ll have to show he can be durable with more and more reps, but he’s a much different player now than he was two years ago.

Best game

2019 vs. Texas: 34-27 victory. Even in Gallimore’s best games, the numbers never really stand out. He had four tackles and two sacks, but he set the tone early in a game where OU would finish with nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss. This was the type of Gallimore the fans and coaches had been waiting for. He showed it in a huge way in his final showdown vs. Texas.

Coach says…

“I think the mental approach has been a big part of it for him. People think, well, it’s interior d-linemen, you either go to the right gap or the left gap. There’s a lot to it. And understanding different blocking schemes and where you fit and how to leverage blocks and how to beat different blocks. And pass rush and movements. There is a lot to it. I think he mentally is in a good place. And I do think a lot of it for him, too, is this scheme has put him in position to make a lot of plays. It has. It’s a scheme with his burst and acceleration off the ball has certainly, you think of a scheme like this for an inside guy, you think of a guy like Neville. It’s been a good fit.” – head coach Lincoln Riley, during the season