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Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State

• 6-4, 320
• 40 time: 5.03
• Projection: First Round
• Charlotte, N.C. (Providence Day)
• School Profile
• Twitter: @BigIck79

OVERVIEW

One of the legitimate contenders for the No. 1 overall pick, Ekwonu’s combination of body control, violence and technical prowess is enticing both coaches and scouts.

His background is one of the most remarkable ones in the entire class. The son of a doctor who played college basketball and a mother with a track background, Ekwonu was a high school wrestler and ran track despite being over 280 pounds. He earned college offers from Harvard and Yale but passed on them in favor of playing at the FBS level.

Ekwonu took over the starting left tackle job midway through his true freshman season, then started at left guard as a sophomore for four games before moving back. The added versatility only sweetens the pot for NFL teams considering him at the top of the draft.

ANALYSIS

Strengths

• Powerhouse run blocker with a well-known mean streak.
• Great knee bender with a flexible lower half.
• Could move inside to guard and dominate in that role.
• Easy mover in the open field and he brings a ton of value as a puller.
• Heavyweight hitter who fires his hands with elite speed.
• Aware of his surroundings and won’t get caught off guard.
• Great at sealing off angles. Knows how to combine his technique with his physical traits fluently.
• Phenomenal flashes of body control.
• Connected well between his hands and feet, and he doesn’t let them get out of order as a pass blocker.
• Quality anchor will keep him from getting overwhelmed by a bull rush.
• Controlled aggression as a pass blocker keeps him from mental mistakes.

Weaknesses

• Likes to drop his shoulder on targets in the run game rather than stay squared up.
• Can be taken out by a good push/pull if he gets caught leaning. Length isn’t the ideal for a tackle.
• Will lose his angle too easily in the run game when he has to work diagonally.

PRO COMPARISON

Zack Martin, Cowboys: Martin moved inside after spending his college career at tackle, but he has been one of the most impressive performers in the NFL over the last decade. Ekwonu is a bit more brutish with his approach, but he has similar upside to develop into one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the league.

2021 SEASON

• The Athletic calls him “the most feared lineman in the ACC.”

2020 SEASON

• Earned second-team All ACC honors from the Associated Press at both guard and tackle. Earned third-team honors on the league team.
• The recipient of the team’s Jim Ritcher Award for top offensive lineman.
• Named co-ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the opener and for the win over Duke.
• Graded out an unheard of 90% vs. the Blue Devils and again vs. FSU
• Led the team with 50 pancake blocks and with 22 knockdowns
• An Academic All-ACC performer for the second straight year.
• A first-team preseason All-ACC choice according to Phil Steele, second-team by Athlon.

2019 SEASON

• Named to the FWAA Freshman All-America team and the PFF All-Freshman Team for 2019.
• Second-team All-ACC choice by Pro Football Focus.
• An All-ACC Academic performer – he earned a 3.4 GPA in his management major and was named to the Dean’s List.
• Started the last 7 games of 2019 at LT, the first four games of 2020 atLG and has been back at LT in the last six outings.
• True freshman who started the last seven games at left tackle.
• Had a season-best seven pancake blocks vs. Louisville.
• Led the team in pancakes for the season with 37.
• In for a season-high 87 snaps at Georgia Tech, he had seven pancake blocks in that contest.
• Corecipient of the team’s John Ritcher OL of the Year award.
• Also earned the Philip Rivers Award for Rookie of the Year.
• First true freshman to start at offensive tackle since Rob Crisp in 2010.

HIGH SCHOOL

• Senior Stats: Tallied 28 knockdown blocks on offense. On defense, posted 29 tackles with four sacks.
• Junior Stats: Had 20 tackles with 4.5 sacks.
• Honors: Named first-team all-state and CISAA first-team all-conference on offense as a senior.
• Also a high school wrestler and ran anchor leg on his prep relay squad.
• Rankings: The #29 recruit in North Carolina and the #31 offensive guard nationally by Rivals.com. Ranked the #23 recruit in North Carolina and the #34 offensive guard nationally by 247Sports.com.

Y’all doing commercials now ?! 😭 @NFL https://t.co/5IfjHlDHUo

— Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu (@BigIck79) April 15, 2022

PERSONAL

• Fraternal twin brother Osita is a LB at Notre Dame. Father T.J. is a 6’6 doctor who played college basketball before coming to the U.S. from Nigeria. Mother Amaka was a high school track star.
• His name (Ikemefuna) is translated “my effort will not be in vain.” A former coach nicknamed him “Ickey” because he looked like former Cincinnati Bengals RB Ickey Woods.
• Also received FCS offers from Harvard and Yale.
• Major: Business administration

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)