NFL Draft Profile: Eku Leota, EDGE, Auburn Tigers
Eku Leota
Auburn Tigers
#55
Pos: EDGE
Ht: 6030
Wt: 252
Hand: 0948
Arm: 3348
Wing: 7968
40: 4.75
DOB: 5/11/1999
Hometown: Asheville, NC
High School: Asheville
Eligibility: 2023
One-Liner:
A stocky edge defender with technical hands and the ability to rush upfield.
Evaluation:
Hulking build, thicker than typical wide aligning pass rushers. Mainly aligns as 4-5t in a 4pt stance. Diagnose and finish as a pass rusher when faced with Qb Naked’s. A strong player that can push the pocket with long-arm techniques. Hand usage that mirrors his hips to set up tackles and win inside. Looked faster, and lighter in 2022, showing an increased role as a starter. Poor angles in the run game washed down too often. Extremely laterally challenged. This leads to questions about if he's only a designated pass rusher at the next level, despite a lack of elite bend or juice. Leota is a thickly built force that rushes from edge alignment. His play in the run game still needs some maturation, but there is some projection as a pass rusher. This is thanks to the easy use of his hands and showing up fitter and looser in 2022. Fresh off a Senior Bowl invite and acceptance, if Leota can string together a strong pre-draft process starting in Mobile, his draft projection may see a considerable increase.
Grade:
7th Round
Background
Eku Leota is a returning starter for Auburn in 2022, where he had 23 tackles, 10.0 TFL, and 7.0 sacks last season. Before Auburn, Leota earned 2020 third-team all-Big Ten honors at Northwestern, where he played in 18 games, recording 25 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, and 2 FF from 2019-20. Leota is the all-time sack leader at Asheville High, while playing tight end, recording 12 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern, and is doing postgraduate work at Auburn in the College of Liberal Arts.
