Crimson Tide Scouting Report: Offensive Lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr.
When Emil Ekiyor Jr. was promoted to Alabama's first-team offensive line last fall, Nick Saban gave the reasons why:
"He’s lost weight. He’s in really good shape. He’s got very good power. He’s very smart as a player. He can play multiple positions, center and guard. We look at him as a starter and he can start multiple positions for us, and he’ll get a lot of playing time for sure. Although when I say a starter, I think we have probably maybe seven guys that I look at as starters. Only five of them can play at once, but he’s certainly one of those guys."
It was promotion well earned and Ekiyor stuck with the starters at right guard.
You know what happened next. Led by the most prolific offense in Crimson Tide history, Alabama ran the table and won the national championship. While the key playmakers at quarterback, running back and wide receiver won national honors, including DeVonta Smith and the the Heisman Trophy, the line was just as successful.
Alabama won the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in college football not only because it boasted the winners of the Outland Trophy (Alex Leatherwood) and Rimington Award (Landon Dickerson), but it had no weaknesses.
Emil Ekiyor Jr.
No. 55
Pos: G
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 324
DOB: 1/22/00
Eligible: 2022
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
High School: Cathedral
Pros
Agile right guard who has positional versatility to play all three positions on the interior. Ekiyor plays at a low pad level, allowing him to operate with a low center of gravity and win the leverage battle. Opponents are rarely able to get underneath him. He is capable of blocking on the move, showing the footwork required to pull and locating opponents reliably. In pass protection, he can mirror rushers using his foot speed and lateral agility. Ekiyor has pop in his hands, finishing smaller defenders. He recognizes and picks up blitzes from the second level.
Cons
A lack of functional strength limits his game and given his frame is filled out, it will be difficult to add muscle. Ekiyor is unable to drive defensive linemen out of their gaps. He does not sustain leverage, as opponents are able to overpower him. In pass protection, Ekiyor does not anchor consistently and frequently gets outreached by defenders, showing a lack of length. When rushers counter, he does not have the strength to shut them down. His pass sets need to be cleaned up as he looks uncomfortable moving backward.
Summary
Versatile interior offensive lineman who can play all three spots on the interior. Ekiyor possesses agility and athleticism desired by zone teams. He can be used on the move with his movement skills and ability to locate opponents. A lack of strength limits most phases of his game, not creating movement upfront and being a power rush target. Ekiyor projects as a potential backup at any or all three interior positions for a zone running team, to take advantage of his mobility. If forced into action, he will have to be given considerable help in pass protection and can not be relied upon to open running lanes.
Grade: 6.5 current, 7.0 potential
BamaCentral Analysis
A lot of Alabama fans tend to overlook Ekiyor due to his size, although at most places being 6-3, 324 pounds would be more than enough. With the Crimson Tide, though, that's relatively small when compared to some of the other behemoths up front. In terms of technique and fulfilling assignments, Ekiyor is a rock who can be counted upon by his teammates and coaches. The son of Atlanta Falcons lineman Emil Ekiyor Sr. has played in 24 career games, with 13 starts. He was on the field for 835 snaps last season and was credited with just one missed assignment and committed one penalty. Opponents were able to tally eight quarterback hurries, two pressures and 2.5 sacks, but they had to earn them.
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Crimson Tide Scouting Report is a 17-part series on Alabama's prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft, with evaluations by NFL Draft Bible and analysis by BamaCentral. Check out his profile on NFL Draft Bible.
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