Former Rushing Leader Sees Rams Adding Another Edge Rusher

Maurice Jones-Drew: 'You can never have enough pass rushers in the NFL.'

Nov 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku (6) and SMU Mustangs offensive lineman Savion Byrd (54) in action during the game between the SMU Mustangs and the Boston College Eagles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Once upon a time, the Portland Trailblazers passed on a guard to draft center Sam Bowie. They had a need for center, and they already had depth at guard.

The guard’s name was Michael Jordan. He went one pick later to the Chicago Bulls.

Draft for need or draft the best player available. That’s the dilemma teams face when they’re on the clock. If Les Snead, Sean McVay and the Rams take edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College, they’ll be drafting the best player available.

That’s the player Maurice Jones-Drew sees heading to the Rams with the 26th-overall selection in the first round. In his mock draft for NFL.com, the former running back and current Rams color analyst sees Ezeiruaku (pronounced ezz-uh-ROCK-oo) as a great fit in Los Angeles.

“You can never have enough pass rushers in the NFL, so the Rams take Ezeiruaku to boost an already strong front,” said Jones-Drew. “He's relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback and should find success alongside fellow young stars Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Jared Verse.”

Ezeiruaku, a 6-foot-2½, 248-pound defender, played at BC for a pair of head coaches with NFL roots, Jeff Hafley and Bill O’Brien. Hafley left after the 2023 season to become defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. O’Brien, who previously served as head coach of the Houston Texans, took over for Ezeiruaku’s senior season.

That senior season was phenomenal. A first-team Associated Press All-American, Ezeiruaku won the Ted Hendricks Award as the country’s best defensive end. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year, he ranked second among FBS players with 16½ sacks and third with 20½ tackles for loss. O’Brien was instrumental not only during the fall but also in the pre-draft process, he said.

“Definitely a great resource, and many resources at Boston College that I've had,” Ezeiruaku told Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport at the Senior Bowl in January. “Coach O'Brien, he's somebody that I could call. Got him on speed dial if I really need to just to ask for advice.

“He's the type of coach that will give me interview questions over the phone just to make sure I'm fully prepared, and that's how he was during the season. It was just really great to have him.”

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