Ikem Ekwonu still tracking towards being a top-five overall NFL Draft pick
NC State All-American left tackle Ikem Ekwonu currently has the second-best overall odds of being the No. 1 overall pick at the NFL Draft, held April 28-30.
The only other time in NC State history that a player was drafted first overall by the NFL was defensive end Mario Williams in 2006. Williams would play 11 years in the league and had 97.5 career sacks while being a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
Former NC State quarterback Roman Gabriel was picked first overall by the AFL in 1962 while being selected second by the NFL that year. Gabriel was the NFL’s MVP in 1969, Comeback Player of the Year in 1973 (when he led the league in passing yards) and, like Williams, a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection. Gabriel played 16 years between the Rams and Eagles.
However, the emerging heavy favorite to be the first pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars is Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. The path for Ekwonu to being the No. 1 pick may have been blocked by Jacksonville using a franchise tag on its left tackle, Cam Robinson.
The Jaguars also signed offensive guard Brandon Scherff in free agency.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. updated his mock draft Tuesday. After his previous edition had Ekwonu going with the first overall pick, Kiper now has Ekwonu going to the Houston Texans with the third overall pick.
“Yes, Laremy Tunsil is returning on the left tackle, so put Ekwonu at right tackle and the Texans can have one of the league’s most talented bookend duos,” Kiper Jr. wrote.
Also sending Ekwonu to Houston is Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports.
The highest the various mock drafts viewed by The Wolfpacker had Ekwonu going came from Jack Borowsky of SI.com, who had Ekwonu going with the No. 2 pick of the Detroit Lions.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has the Texans taking Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal, and Ekwonu going off the board with the fifth overall choice by the New York Giants. So did two of his colleagues at CBS Sports, Kyle Stackpole and Chris Trapasso.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, in his three-round mock draft, also sent Ekwonu to the Giants at No. 5. Ekwonu was the only NC State player chosen in the first three rounds by Reuter.
Ikem Ekwonu’s historic 2021 season
In 2021, Ekwonu became just the third unanimous consensus first-team All-American at NC State, joining former center Jim Ritcher in 1979 and defensive end Bradley Chubb in 2017. Ritcher’s No. 51 is retired from NC State football, and he was an inaugural member of the school’s Hall of Fame.
Chubb’s No. 9 is also permanently honored, and he is currently a star in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.
Ekwonu was also one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, an honor given to the nation’s top lineman. He was the recipient of the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, the first winner from NC State football since Ritcher in 1979.
Ekwonu finished the regular season with 67 pancake blocks and 18 knockdowns, and was a two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week. The 6-4, 320-pounder allowed just two sacks in 829 snaps.
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