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Erik Ezukanma NFL Draft Profile
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Erik Ezukanma Scouting ReportErik has an elite size and length with good athleticism. He is an impressive athlete, and by extension, a tremendous run-after-catch threat. Ezukanma has great lateral agility and elusiveness for his size. He owns superb explosiveness both off the line and in open space and he has the burst to create and elongate space after the catch. He also has the deep speed to stack defensive backs. Erik is strongest at the catch point. He has great body control and focus, and he’s authoritative seeking out the football. He actively targets the ball with his hands and rarely resorts to body catching. Furthermore, the Texas Tech WR has the toughness and focus to haul in passes amidst contact. He has strong hands at the catch point. Rarely does he succumb to focus drops, a problem that plagues other receivers in the 2022 NFL Draft. This solidity as a catcher is inspiring, and on top of that, Ezukanma shows flashes as a route runner. He has shown he can line up on the outside, in the slot, or even execute in motion. He can seamlessly transition from the catching phase to the run-after-catch phase, and he attacks each moment with a steely focus.
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Areas for ImprovementErik is an impressive NFL Draft prospect, but he has room for refinement. He has a somewhat limited route tree, and he also lacks a diverse release package at the line. He can round the top of his routes while traversing through zones. He can employ faster feet heading into his breaks at times and better engage varying stride lengths. Overall, his footwork could be more precise. Erik doesn’t always run his routes at full speed all the way through. He also doesn’t display consistent twitch or urgency up the seam. His profile, Ezukanma seems more explosive laterally and horizontally than vertically. His physicality in contested situations could get him into trouble in the NFL. And while he’s physical as a receiver, he isn’t always an overwhelming run blocker.
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Erik Ezukanma Career at SchoolWhen Ezukanma arrived at Texas Tech, he’d grown an inch to 6’3″, but he’d fallen in weight to 180 pounds. Still growing, Ezukanma received a redshirt from Texas Tech coaches in 2018, honing his craft off the field both physically and mentally. When Ezukanma returned in 2019, he’d grown 30 pounds (180 to 210). And he was ready to dominate. Ezukanma’s first three games were relatively uneventful, but the Texas Tech WR turned up the heat in his final eight contests. Over 2018’s season-ending eight-game stretch, Ezukanma logged 34 catches for 589 yards and 4 touchdowns. He finished the season with 664 yards and became the first Texas Tech freshman to lead the team in receiving yards since 2009 top-10 pick Michael Crabtree. 2020 was a similarly productive season for Ezukanma. Even in a COVID-shortened 10-game season, with uncertainty at quarterback, Ezukanma remained steady as a dynamic playmaker. In 10 games, the Texas Tech WR logged 46 catches for 748 yards and 6 touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for his play, earning an early spot on the 2021 Biletnikoff Award watch list. |
Erik Ezukanma NFL Draft Player ProfileEzukanma is a rare receiver with incredibly dynamic potential. He’s 6’3″, 220 pounds, with elite length and contact balance, great explosiveness and elusiveness, great hands, and impressive authoritative traits at the catch point. Ezukanma has room to refine his route running, he shows potential there. The Texas Tech WR flashes fast feet, smooth hip sinks, and amped-up lower body movements ahead of his breaks. If he can be more consistent there, he could complete his NFL Draft scouting report. Ezukanma is a wide receiver prospect worthy of Round 1 consideration. In the NFL today, receivers don’t necessarily need to be elite route runners. A larger emphasis is being placed on coaches simply scheming playmakers open and getting them the ball. Ezukanma is electric with the ball in his hands and in the air. That voracity as a playmaker in all three ranges, combined with his elite physical makeup, grants him an astronomical ceiling.
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