New York Giants Draft Prospect: IOL Emil Ekiyor Jr

Nick has a look at a potential Day 3 interior offensive line prospect.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Mar 6, 2023 2:59 PM EST

Emil Ekiyor Jr., IOL

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 317 lbs.
Class: RS-Senior
School: Alabama
Arm length: 33⅜”
Wingspan: 82⅛”
Hand size: 9⅜”
Age: 23 (born on 01/22/2000)

A former four-star recruit out of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the third center recruit and the first-ranked Indiana prospect in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Terry McLaurin, Mark Clayton, Pete Werner, and Mathias Kiwanuka were Cathedral alumni. Ekiyor was recruited as a center but only played five snaps at the position; he played 2,161 snaps at right guard throughout his five years in Tuscaloosa.

Notables

Ekiyor has been a rock for the Crimson Tide offensive line since 2020. He only allowed one sack his entire time at Alabama. PFF only credited 31 total pressures in 1,277 pass-blocking snaps throughout his college career; he only allowed six pressures this past season. Ekiyor earned First Team All-SEC because of his dominant senior season. Ekiyor earned a trip down to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he had an impressive week of practice.

Strengths

Short in terms of height - gives him natural leverage
Solid filled-out frame with thick extremities
Long player with a good blocking radius
Good coiled low stance; ready to pounce and explode low-to-high
Solid overall athlete - does well to get out of stance and redirect himself
Enough athletic ability to move well in short areas - good short area burst
Does a good job framing his blocks on the LOS and in space
Gets hip to hip in COMBO situations with excellent power
Solid awareness and eyes to locate penetrators
Was the pulling IOL on G-Lead and was the backside puller

Good body control and adjustment ability on the move
G Lead: LSU Q2, 9:46 1st & 10’ Q4 13:11 1st & 10 (Gibbs TD)
Auburn: Q1, 13:25 1st & 10; Q4, 8:57, 2nd & 5; Q4, 1:55, 2ND & 6

Solid overall power at the point of attack

Power would be better if he can refine his overall technique (feet/hands)

Good competitive toughness and physicality
Very good anchor and grip strength when his hands are right

Auburn: Q1, 8:20, 2nd & 10; Q4, 10:02, 1st & 10
Miss St: Q2, 12:44, 2nd & 6

Sits back on his hips and absorbs contact - gets walked back till he halts the rusher
Active player with an excellent motor
Good overall pass and run blocker

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Weaknesses

Isn’t a dynamic athlete, albeit he’s sufficient
A bit stiff to consistently change direction on tight angles
Modest ability to flip his hips
Wish his initial punch was a bit more commanding
Base can get wide into contact
Pad-level concerns - loses leverage and technique looks sloppy

To his credit, he does a solid job winning ugly

Can get over his skis, at times, which leads to balance problems
Needs to do a better job staying low
Hand usage: timing, punch, and location are all inconsistent - can be late to engage hands
Will lunge on the move and overextend himself at the waist
Technique issues negates his ability to fully employ his power
Wish he sustained blocks better with his hands
Is an older rookie
Dealt with a few shoulder injuries throughout his college career

Summary

Emil Ekiyor Jr. gets the job done as a run and pass blocker; he has sufficient athleticism to play in the NFL, and his play strength is solid, but his technique disallows him from reaching his potential. He gets too high, and his hand usage is inconsistent.

Despite the technical errors, Ekiyor seems to find ways to win as a blocker. He did well in space as the pulling IOL for Alabama, and he was able to stifle opposing pass rushers with an excellent anchor. He’s not perfect, but he can be a year-one starter at guard in the NFL.

GRADE: 6.2