Donovan Ezeiruaku 2025 NFL Draft: BC EDGE Scouting Report
In a highly anticipated 2025 NFL Draft rookie class, Donovan Ezeiruaku is a talented edge rusher to know. Ezeiruaku is an explosive defensive end who played college football for Boston College. Today, we’ll break down his NFL outlook in this rookie scouting report. Additionally, we will be breaking down his strengths, areas for improvement, and his potential draft grade.
Donovan Ezeiruaku 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Ezeiruaku emerged as a standout talent at Boston College, culminating his collegiate career with a dominant 2024 season that earned him the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end.
A former three-star recruit from Williamstown High School in New Jersey, Ezeiruaku’s multi-sport athleticism (track and field experience in discus and triple jump) translated into explosive playmaking on the gridiron. After a rotational role as a freshman in 2021 (3 sacks), he broke out as a sophomore with 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss (TFLs). Additionally, he followed that up with a quieter junior year (2 sacks). Finally, he broke out in 2024 with 16.5 sacks and 20.5 TFLs—tying the Boston College single-season sack record.
HT: 6024
WT: 248
40: 4.76
ARM: 3400
Strengths
- Pass-Rush Arsenal: Ezeiruaku’s technical proficiency sets him apart. He boasts a diverse toolkit—euro-step, swim move, cross-chop, dip-rip, and ghost rush—executed with precision and intent. His ability to chain moves together keeps offensive tackles off balance, showcasing a veteran-like feel for setting up blockers.
- Bend and Agility: His flexibility and ankle flexion allow him to corner tightly at the top of his rush, reducing his frame to slip past blockers. This fluidity and lateral quickness make him a nightmare on stunts and wide alignments.
- Explosiveness: Ezeiruaku’s first step off the snap is sudden, enabling him to gain ground quickly and exploit lazy sets. His closing speed to the quarterback is a finisher’s trait—evident in his FBS-leading 16.5 sacks in 2024.
- Football IQ: He reads blockers’ tendencies with sharp instincts, adjusting his approach mid-rush based on leverage or oversets. His game against Western Kentucky (14 tackles, three sacks, and a strip sack) highlighted his ability to dominate when preparation meets opportunity.
- Motor: Relentless in pursuit, Ezeiruaku rarely takes plays off. His stamina allows him to maintain effectiveness late in games, a critical asset for a pass-rush specialist.
Areas for Improvement
- Size and Power: At his size, Ezeiruaku lacks the mass and raw strength to consistently anchor against NFL offensive tackles in the run game. His frame limits his ability to effectively convert speed to power or bull rush.
- Run Defense Consistency: While he flashes instincts to shoot gaps and disrupt plays, he can get washed out by larger linemen when asked to hold the point of attack. His lighter build makes him vulnerable to double teams or physical run schemes.
- Burst Variability: Though explosive, his get-off isn’t elite in terms of raw linear speed. Against quicker NFL tackles, he may struggle to win purely with pace, relying heavily on technique to create separation.
- Counters: Patient, long-armed tackles who land early punches can stall his momentum. Without a consistent power base, he sometimes struggles to reset and re-engage when his initial move is neutralized.
- Schematic Fit: His skill set thrives in space but may not translate as seamlessly to tighter alignments or schemes demanding stout edge-setting.
Conclusion
Overall, Ezeiruaku profiles as a high-upside pass-rush specialist with Day 1 impact potential in the right system. His best fit is as a stand-up outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, aligned in a wide 9-technique to maximize his speed and agility. Teams like the Green Bay Packers (under former BC coach Jeff Hafley) or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, seeking a complementary rusher, could deploy him effectively in sub-packages.
Moving forward, Ezeiruaku will need a year or two to bulk up and refine his run defense to become a three-down player. However, his pass-rush polish ensures immediate rotational value.
Ultimately, Ezeiruaku’s blend of finesse, explosiveness, and football IQ makes him one of the most pro-ready edge rushers in the 2025 class. While not a finished product, his ceiling as a double-digit sack artist is tantalizing for NFL defenses craving disruption. His profile closely resembles Yannick Ngakoue – A technically savvy, undersized edge with a knack for sacks but limited run-stuffing ability early in his career.
Round Grade: 2nd Round
Stats: Per Sports Reference
| Season | Team | G | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sk | FR |
| 2021 | Boston College | 10 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | Boston College | 12 | 34 | 27 | 15 | 9 | 0 |
| 2023* | Boston College | 13 | 28 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024* | Boston College | 12 | 37 | 43 | *21* | *16.5* | 0 |
| Career | 47 | 113 | 102 | 47 | 30 | 0 |
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