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Ikem Ekwonu NFL Draft Profile
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Ikem Ekwonu Scouting ReportEkwonu is making waves being labeled "the most feared lineman in the ACC." He is a good old-fashioned mauler who doed his best work in the phone booth. His high school wrestling experience is apparent in how he goes into the combat as a run blocker. Run blocking allows him to demonstrate impressive athletic tendencies. He can get out to the second level and routinely forces the issue downfield, as Bolden will attest. Having played both left tackle and left guard in his NC State career, Ekwonu provides valuable versatility. He has the potential to be the Alijah Vera-Tucker of the 2022 NFL Draft class. |
Areas for ImprovementHe allowed 25 pressures and 7 sacks last season, which leaves some room for significant improvement. But, as much as statistical analysis shouldn’t be the basis for player evaluation, tape study shows some of the reasons why Ekwonu struggled in pass protection. Despite having a powerful punch and extremely violent hands, he needs to be more consistent with his hand placement. Additionally, Ekownu needs also to show consistency with the timing of his punch. There were examples where he was too late getting his hands on his opponent, losing the rep before it even started. Ekwonu also displayed examples of carrying his weight over his toes in pass protection. Thus, he can be guilty of lunging at his opponent, losing his balance, and ultimately losing the battle. |
Ikem Ekwonu Career at NC StateWhile Ekwonu was impressed by NC State, head coach Dave Doeren had been even more impressed by his new OG. Doeren described the young offensive lineman’s high school performances as “one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen by a lineman.” Ekwonu immediately translated his high school potential into results on the college level. Although he started the season at left guard, he became the first true freshman to start at left tackle for the program since 2010. He led the team with 37 pancakes, recording 7 in games against Louisville and Georgia Tech. His ability was recognized both internally and outside of the NC State building. Ekwonu was named the Philip Rivers Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, he was a co-recipient of the John Ritcher Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. Furthermore, he was named to the FWAA Freshman All-American team and received second-team All-ACC honors. Despite the disruption of the 2020 college football season, Ekwonu showed no signs of a sophomore slump. Following a dominant performance against Duke, he was named the co-ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week. His statistical production was outstanding. Ekwonu totaled 50 pancake blocks and 22 knockdowns. As impressive as the output was, his ability to switch between OG and OT was awe-inspiring. As a result, he earned second-team All-ACC recognition at both positions. |
Ikem Ekwonu NFL Draft Player ProfileEkwonu is a good old-fashioned mauler who does his best work in the phone booth that is the interior offensive line. His high school wrestling experience is apparent in how he goes into combat as a run blocker. Furthermore, run blocking allows him to demonstrate impressive athletic tendencies. He can get out to the second level and routinely forces the issue downfield, as Bolden will attest. In addition to the violence he brings in the ground game, Ekwonu demonstrates a vicious and powerful punch in pass protection. Finally, having played both left tackle and left guard in his NC State career, Ekwonu provides valuable versatility. For me, he has the potential to be the Alijah Vera-Tucker of the 2022 NFL Draft class. By that, I mean he can probably play offensive tackle in the NFL. However, he is far more likely to have a successful career as a potentially exceptional guard at the next level. |
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