Big Board ranking: #18
Positional ranking: #3
Overview
Position: OT
College: NC State
Class: Junior
Age: 21
Measurables
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 310 lbs.
Arm length: 34″
Hand size: 10 1/4″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: 4.93 sec.
Vertical jump: 29.0″
Broad jump: 108.0″
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: 7.82 sec.
Short shuttle: 4.73 sec.
Strengths
Big and wide with great length. Extremely powerful. Huge lower half and very light feet at his size. Clearly enjoys punishing opponents. Beat-you-up demeanor. Can drive defenders back several yards as a run blocker. Stays low to create leverage. Will push someone back and not think twice before a second or third serving. Hunts anyone that gets in his sights. Throws defenders around and tries to bury them. Always keeps his eyes open for someone to hit. Strikes are extremely powerful. Hands are big and strong. Reaches defenders more quickly than anticipated due to length/athleticism. Probably can’t go through him in pass protection. Effective picking up stunts. Impressive bend for his size. Moves well in terms of speed with a head of steam. Will absolutely level smaller defenders in space. Athletic going to the ground on cut blocks. Can demolish blitzers (final play versus Wake Forest in 2020). Fiery tone-setter for an offense. Has starting experience at left guard in addition to left tackle.
Weaknesses
Average foot quickness in pass protection. Pass sets are inconsistent and seem labored at times. Average acceleration. Struggled in pass protection versus some top opponents (Clemson 2021). Speed rushers are a concern. Can set too wide and allow rushers inside. Thrown off blocks too easily at times considering size and strength. Will occasionally put his head down and whiff. Has skillset to dominate at guard but appears much more comfortable at tackle.
NFL comparison
Jordan Mailata
Conclusion
Overall, Ekwonu is a powerful offensive lineman with the desired mindset to dominate opponents in the running game and the size to hold up in pass protection. His best fit should be at tackle, but teams can also try to mold him into a high-quality guard.
Would love my Lions to get him and use him at G/T
He’s getting a lot of hype…. we’ll see.