From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku.
No. 6 Donovan Ezeiruaku/EDGE Boston College – 6022, 248 pounds (Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku | 6022/248 | 9 1/4 | 34 1/2 | 82 1/2 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
– Wins with an elite jab step and great bend
– Quick foot movement allows him to get around blockers
– Good athletic ability
– Good explosiveness off the ball
– Uses hands well when rushing the passer
– Effective swim move
– Can win quickly and get to the quarterback before he finishes his drop
– Takes advantage of lunging blockers with speed
– Great stamina, never comes off the field
The Bad
– Average play strength
– Does not win with power
– Needs to break down as a tackler down the field
– Would like to see him hustle more
– Slower lateral speed
– Bad finisher bringing ball carriers down
– Powerful blockers control him
– Does not possess power to bull rush
– Can get driven back in the downhill run game
– Tries to fit gap but can get displaced due to low play strength
– Overall, below-average run defender
– Takes bad angles chasing scrambling quarterbacks
– Rep over if he doesn’t quickly win with speed or hands
– Needs more aggressiveness in the run
Bio
– Started 25 games and appeared in 47 across 4 years at Boston College
– 2024: 80 tackles, 20.5 TFLs, 16.5 sacks, 26 QB hurries, and 3 forced fumbles,
– Named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year
– Won ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week 3 times
– Received First-Team All-American honors (AP)
– Given the Ted Hendricks Award as college football’s top defense end
– Led all of FBS in sacks and sacks per game (1.38)
– 2023: 53 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 27 hurries, and 2 forced fumbles
– 2022: 61 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 23 hurries, and 3 forced fumbles
– 2021: 21 tackles, 4 TFLs, and 3 sacks
– Three-star recruit out of Williamstown, New Jersey
– Graded the No. 26 player in New Jersey (ESPN)
– As HS senior, recorded 47 tackles, 9 TFLs, and 2 sacks
– Committed to Boston College over Northern Illinois, Temple, and Vanderbilt
– Sat down with his parents as a 10-year-old and told them his goal was to play in the NFL
Tape Breakdown
Donovan Ezeiruaku is a highly awarded player who wins by rushing the passer using his effective jab step and swim move. He will specialize in passing situations due to his unique jab step that can leave blockers blocking air. This jab step is his go-to pass rush move, and he plays with the bend that beats blockers off the edge without losing his balance. The other pass rush move he uses is his swim move, which he can use to beat a lunging blocker while rushing the passer and defending the run. Here, when matched up against a tight end and running back, he uses his swim move twice in one play to beat both pass protectors.
Another thing that benefits Ezeiruaku while rushing the passer is his ability to use his hands to fight off blockers. He fights until the end of the play and can be seen pressuring the quarterback quickly when the blocker does not get his hands on first. He gets off the ball quickly to take advantage of a slow tackle, and before they know it, he will be behind them, pressuring the quarterback.
While he is successful as a pass rusher, he desperately needs to work on his finishing ability when he gets to the quarterback. He has bad technique at the finishing point and can be seen either leaving his feet too early or going way too high without breaking down, which allows quarterbacks to shake out of it and make a play downfield. His effective jab step is shown in this play, but he fails to bring down the quarterback and secure a sack.
Ezeiruaku wins as a pass rusher using his hand-fighting ability paired with a great jab step and positive swim move. But if he does not succeed like that, he is ineffective. He is controlled pretty easily against powerful blockers with a good anchor due to his weaker play strength. He does not have the power to bull rush, leaving him as a one-dimensional pass rusher. Against starting offensive tackles in the NFL, they will be able to snuff out his skillful pass-rush style and handle him easily.
As a run defender, Ezeiruaku does not help a team very much. He has average play strength and does not have the aggressiveness to be in rushing situations to consistently help a team. He is kind of filling space and trying to fit his gap, but teams will be able to run at him and push him downfield. On this play, the pulling guard handles him easily, pushing him out of his gap and leaving the running back some space to work.
This is how many of the run defense reps look, where he is trying to fit his gap but getting displaced by a powerful downhill blocker. His athleticism should serve him better in defending zone runs, but he does not fight with his hands to chase down a runner and can be cut off pretty easily. His lateral speed is not great, and when he is unblocked defending outside zone opposite, it is hard for him to chase down the runner for a TFL. I would like to see him up his hand usage and aggressiveness when defending the run, which would help him be able to play on sure-rushing situations.
Ezeiruaku has been known as a hard worker his entire life, but he sometimes seems to be giving low effort on film. He jogs when the ball is away from him, and he does not possess the great athletic ability to not always give full effort. In this play, a touch pass comes his way, but the low effort he gives allows the runner to beat him to the edge. Then, as the ball carrier gets past him, he jogs after it. The effort must be increased when defending the run at the next level.
Conclusion
Donovan Ezeiruaku will be a designated pass rusher in his first year and will need to up his effort, play strength, and aggressiveness to play all three downs as his career continues. It is a pretty sight to see when he wins with his jab step and swim move. If he is snuffed out, there is no other way for him to win, hindering his ceiling. What worries me most is his run defense and lack of play strength, which needs to improve to maximize his ability to impact a game. My comp for him is Harold Landry III.
Projection: Mid-Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 7.8 – Third Round (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Games Watched: at Missouri (2024), at SMU (2024), vs Pitt (2024)
