Auburn EDGE Eku Leota signs deal following 2023 NFL Draft

Auburn Tigers edge rusher Eku Leota has signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent, according to Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer.

Eku Leota first went to Northwestern before transferring to Auburn in 2021 as a graduate transfer. In two seasons at Auburn, he played in 17 games. In those games, he had 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Combined with his performance at Northwestern, he has 25 career tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.

Unfortunately for Leota, his 2022 season ended early due to an injury. Then head coach Bryan Harsin said, “Eku is a big loss. He’s a leader.”

As a recruit, Eku Leota was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2018, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. In his class, he was the 50th ranked edge rusher and the 685th ranked player overall.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Eku Leota

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down Eku Leota as an NFL Draft prospect, explaining what could make Leota a valuable pick at this spot.

In particular, Lance Zierlein praised Leota’s length and ability at the point of attack. He’s a strong defender, especially when going up against blocks, and can redirect those blocking him to control gaps. On top of that, he has a high motor and doesn’t tend to give up on plays.

On the other hand, Eku Leota has his weaknesses too. For instance, on the pass rush, his hands are often not strong enough to shorten his path to the quarterback. He also has average speed off the ball and can be tight hipped around the corner. All of this hurts his pass rushing ability. On top of that, he’s even slow to get ready to make a tackle. This speed could prove costly at the NFL level.

“Leota is the definition of a 3-4 strong side outside linebacker,” Zierlein wrote.

“He offers the toughness/strength to do battle and hold the fort along the edge. He plays with the same effort and aggression on every snap. Leota has above average skill level when taking on tackles and tight ends. His rush attack lacks a robust skill set and production might be based upon scheme, and secondary effort, in many instances. Leota has a chance to develop into a plus run defender and potential starter as a 3-4 edge defender.”