New York Giants select North Carolina guard Joshua Ezeudu in 2022 NFL Draft

Former North Carolina guard Joshua Ezeudu is taking his game to the next level, as he was selected 67th overall by the New York Giants in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday night.

Ezeudu, a former On3 Consensus three-star recruit coming out of the Class of 2018, put together a successful collegiate career for the Tar Heels – playing in 36 games over four seasons with the program. Ezeudu had a solid season in 2021, as he played in 12 games on the offensive line and blocked for players such as quarterback Sam Howell.

A 6-foot-4, 325-pound guard, Ezeudu was ranked as the No. 69 offensive tackle in the country in the 2018 recruiting class coming out of Archer (Ga.) High School. He held scholarship offers from programs such as Nebraska, Louisville, West Virginia and Minnesota before choosing to play at North Carolina.

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Joshua Ezeudu

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down what Ezeudu can bring to the NFL in his recent scout of the guard’s draft profile and compared him to Alex Redmond, who is currently a free agent guard in the NFL.

“A guard prospect with technical kinks in need of being worked out, Ezeudu possesses the traits and athleticism to find an NFL home,” Zierlein said. “Despite his impressive frame, he doesn’t play with cohesive hands and hips, which limits his power zone and could prevent him from neutralizing NFL power. He’s a more talented blocker on the move and could see a bump in consistency if an offensive line coach can get him playing with more disciplined hands.

“His length and tackle experience are plusses, but he’s going to allow occasional rush leakage due to soft edges. He has low-end starter potential with emergency tackle versatility.”