Gonna post this in pieces because it is from The Athletic which is a paid site. Starts with the intro (below) and then position by position. Some fascinating stuff in here. The Kyle Hamilton with Kenan/Derwin bit is hilarious!
Admins, if this is out of line, I apologize.
NFL Draft confidential: Debating Ickey Ekwonu, Travon Walker, Nakobe Dean and more
Bruce Feldman
Apr 25, 2022
87
There is nothing quite like the run-up to the NFL Draft for chatter and opinions. Some might chalk a lot of this up to smokescreens, but it’s usually not that. It’s really more a byproduct of how a lifetime of football experiences shape someone’s perspective.
And that brings us to Ickey.
By now, you’ve heard about Ikem Ekwonu, NC State’s unheralded recruit turned All-American O-lineman whom a year ago almost no one knew about aside from ACC coaches. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder, like many of the guys mocked to be first-rounders, is a polarizing topic in NFL circles. On Tuesday, The Athletic talked to one NFL O-line coach who called Ekwonu “a future All-Pro” and proceeded to rave about him for nearly five minutes, saying there is no offensive line prospect close to him in this draft.
“His game film is ridiculous,” said the coach. “It’s special. You see all the outside and wide zones and him finishing guys at the second level. He’s blocking linebackers 10 yards downfield. He has 34-inch arms, big-ass hands. He’s everything that you’re looking for. His pass protection is still a little raw, but that’s college guys. He still needs some work in pass protection, countering inside moves — shutting down inside moves is his biggest weakness — but he’s just so athletic with great lateral movement skills and is so smart and so tough. His motor was different, and the IQ interview is thorough the roof. … He has all the tools. We have to build his toolbox.
“He’s a generational guy. He’s a Day 1 impact starter. He is, by far, the best lineman.”
The Athletic next called a veteran NFL scout. His take on Ekwonu: “He’s completely overrated. He is talented; has the athleticism, the foot quickness and all that stuff. I worry about his core strength. He plays in a shitty league. I like Evan Neal and (Charles) Cross more.”
Later that night, we talked to another NFL line coach and brought up the big disparity on Ekwonu. The coach, who also is a big believer in the 21-year-old from Charlotte, said he wasn’t surprised.
“I think it’s like this: Coaches love him; the scouts and personnel people don’t because of what he looks like,” he said. “He’s really knock-kneed — he has caved-in knees. He’s thin-legged. Initially, when I first saw him, I thought, how the fuck is this guy possibly the first pick? But then when he starts moving, you see that he’s crazy athletic.
“We evaluated about 60 guys and he was, by far, the best. His demeanor of play is just different. His run blocking is really good. It’s how nasty he plays. His game film is like a highlight tape. A lot of these guys, they ride the roller coaster. It’s like the guy from Ohio State (Nicholas Petit-Frere), they get beat once and then they get beat several times in a row. They weren’t competing the way you’d want him to. Ickey is always competing. He finishes plays. When the whistle blows, he’s either on a second-level player or a third-level player.”
As for the shot at playing in the ACC, the coach was quick to point out that Ekwonu “played great against Florida State,” which had projected first-round defensive end Jermaine Johnson, who didn’t have a single TFL in the game.
“I’m telling you, he’s friggin’ good, man,” the coach said.
Worth noting: None of these three sources’ teams have a pick in the top 15, so it’s doubtful their comments are subterfuge to help jostle Ekwonu or some other O-line prospect their way.
Over the past few weeks, The Athletic has spoken to more than a dozen NFL coaches and personnel people to find out who and what is catching their eye as the 2022 NFL Draft approaches.
Admins, if this is out of line, I apologize.
NFL Draft confidential: Debating Ickey Ekwonu, Travon Walker, Nakobe Dean and more
Bruce Feldman
Apr 25, 2022
87
There is nothing quite like the run-up to the NFL Draft for chatter and opinions. Some might chalk a lot of this up to smokescreens, but it’s usually not that. It’s really more a byproduct of how a lifetime of football experiences shape someone’s perspective.
And that brings us to Ickey.
By now, you’ve heard about Ikem Ekwonu, NC State’s unheralded recruit turned All-American O-lineman whom a year ago almost no one knew about aside from ACC coaches. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder, like many of the guys mocked to be first-rounders, is a polarizing topic in NFL circles. On Tuesday, The Athletic talked to one NFL O-line coach who called Ekwonu “a future All-Pro” and proceeded to rave about him for nearly five minutes, saying there is no offensive line prospect close to him in this draft.
“His game film is ridiculous,” said the coach. “It’s special. You see all the outside and wide zones and him finishing guys at the second level. He’s blocking linebackers 10 yards downfield. He has 34-inch arms, big-ass hands. He’s everything that you’re looking for. His pass protection is still a little raw, but that’s college guys. He still needs some work in pass protection, countering inside moves — shutting down inside moves is his biggest weakness — but he’s just so athletic with great lateral movement skills and is so smart and so tough. His motor was different, and the IQ interview is thorough the roof. … He has all the tools. We have to build his toolbox.
“He’s a generational guy. He’s a Day 1 impact starter. He is, by far, the best lineman.”
The Athletic next called a veteran NFL scout. His take on Ekwonu: “He’s completely overrated. He is talented; has the athleticism, the foot quickness and all that stuff. I worry about his core strength. He plays in a shitty league. I like Evan Neal and (Charles) Cross more.”
Later that night, we talked to another NFL line coach and brought up the big disparity on Ekwonu. The coach, who also is a big believer in the 21-year-old from Charlotte, said he wasn’t surprised.
“I think it’s like this: Coaches love him; the scouts and personnel people don’t because of what he looks like,” he said. “He’s really knock-kneed — he has caved-in knees. He’s thin-legged. Initially, when I first saw him, I thought, how the fuck is this guy possibly the first pick? But then when he starts moving, you see that he’s crazy athletic.
“We evaluated about 60 guys and he was, by far, the best. His demeanor of play is just different. His run blocking is really good. It’s how nasty he plays. His game film is like a highlight tape. A lot of these guys, they ride the roller coaster. It’s like the guy from Ohio State (Nicholas Petit-Frere), they get beat once and then they get beat several times in a row. They weren’t competing the way you’d want him to. Ickey is always competing. He finishes plays. When the whistle blows, he’s either on a second-level player or a third-level player.”
As for the shot at playing in the ACC, the coach was quick to point out that Ekwonu “played great against Florida State,” which had projected first-round defensive end Jermaine Johnson, who didn’t have a single TFL in the game.
“I’m telling you, he’s friggin’ good, man,” the coach said.
Worth noting: None of these three sources’ teams have a pick in the top 15, so it’s doubtful their comments are subterfuge to help jostle Ekwonu or some other O-line prospect their way.
Over the past few weeks, The Athletic has spoken to more than a dozen NFL coaches and personnel people to find out who and what is catching their eye as the 2022 NFL Draft approaches.
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