New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College

Donovan Ezeiruaku's draft stock has continued to rise after last season, with him last having ranked 30th on NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's big board.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge

Height: 6’2 ½”
Weight: 248 lbs
Class: Senior
School: Boston College
Hand size: 9 ¼”
Arm length: 34”
Vertical Jump: 35.5”
Broad Jump: 9’11”
3-Cone Drill: 6.94
20-Yd Shuttle: 4.19
Bench Press: 22
STATS

A former three-star recruit out of Williamstown, New Jersey, where he attended Williamstown High School. He was the 27th-ranked player from the great state of New Jersey and the 195th overall linebacker during the 2021 recruiting cycle.

Ezeiruaku was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after posting 60 pressures, 26 hurries, and 42 STOPs. He was also a consensus All-American, was First-Team All-ACC, and he took home the Ted Hendricks Award in 2024.

He also earned a Second-Team All-ACC in 2022. Ezeiruaku finished his college career with 140 total pressures, 85 hurries, and 118 STOPs. His missed tackle rate was 12.7% in college, but it significantly improved in 2024 (only 8.1%).

Pro Football Focus graded Ezeiruaku as the 33rd best defensive player in college football last year with the 16th highest pass-rushing grade of EDGE rushers; he also ranked third behind Mike Green (Marshall) and Abdul Carter (Penn State) in STOPs.

He finished his career as one of the top defensive players in Boston College’s history. Donovan Ezeiruaku was in attendance at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Strengths

Good length (34-inch arms)
Springy – bendy – athlete
Very quick first step off the line of scrimmage
Excellent change of direction and immediate burst
Balanced and controlled with excellent fluidity in lower-half
Very good directional control and impressive lateral agility
Significantly improved his missed tackle rate in 2024
Effortless cornering ability + Good burst – quick first three steps
Gets low to avoid contact – forces OT to bend when moving highside
Quickly gets to the half-man relationship
Gets up the arc quickly with excellent inside shoulder dip
Good overall hand usage to create separation – hands stay active
Excellent reactive quickness and intelligence as a rusher
Anticipates OTs well and sets them up
Good counter moves
Flashed very good arm over, ghost, rip, and push-pull moves
Has several efficient pass rushing moves + he strings them together well
Does an excellent job shooting gaps and avoiding blockers
Smart run defender – understands when/how to avoid blocks
Physical punch with an average ability to remove TEs in the run game
Leverages low center of gravity and bend to side-step blocks and tackle the ballcarrier
Solid overall run defender – more of a slasher than stack & shed
Elite competitive toughness and stamina

Donovan Ezeiruaku meets the media at BC Pro Day @newftbj @BCEagleAction pic.twitter.com/FoR99Bb68d
— Kevin J. Stone (@kstone06) March 24, 2025

Weaknesses

Slightly undersized – looks small next to many tackles
Size becomes an issue against bigger OL
Only average play strength
Lacks elite power rush moves – more finesse
Below average ability to convert speed to power (projecting to NFL)
Struggles to anchor in the run game – can get pushed back
Penchant to avoid blocks, rather than take them on, places him out of position at times
Technique needs to be perfect if stacking & shedding – must use length!
Below -average run defender when he isn’t slashing/avoiding
Missed a lot of tackles throughout his career

Summary

Donovan Ezeiruaku is a bendy athlete with a good overall burst to maximize his traits as a high-side rusher.

Not only is Ezeiruaku a smart rusher with active hands who keeps tackles on their toes (literally & figuratively) but he possesses a closing ability that showcased itself throughout his senior season at Boston College.

He’s a finesse pass rusher who understands how to rush the passer with dangerous high-side rushes combined with fluid and balanced counter moves.

There’s a lot to love about Ezeiruaku’s pass-rushing profile. His run defense is below average when he is not penetrating or slashing.

Ezeiruaku may struggle to leverage his gap assignment against bigger, more physical offensive tackle; he’ll have to rely on his length to make initial contact, and there’s little room for his error within his technique and ability to anchor/locate.

Patient and long offensive tackles may give Ezeiruaku some trouble as a pass rusher, but the Boston College product possesses enough moves, tempo, and football IQ to keep even those disciplined tackles guessing.

Overall, Ezeiruaku possesses excellent bend and control as a high-side rusher with the ever-present threat to counter effectively. He’s a difficult, albeit smaller, assignment for offensive tackles to handle on an island. He may start as a situational pass rusher who provides juice and several moves to win.

His ability to consistently set an edge is questionable, but he can still be a solid player as a run defender if used correctly.

GRADE: 6.42

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

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