Ikem Ekwonu is being considered a potential top overall NFL Draft pick
NC State football offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu made a lot of history on the field this fall for the Wolfpack, and after entering the NFL Draft there is a chance he could make some more.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft has Ekwonu going with the No. 1 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“A three-year starter at NC State, Ekwonu has impressive movements for his size and generates extraordinary explosion at contact,” Brugler said. “He lacks refinement and is guilty of over-setting, but he is nimble, powerful and should get better and better as his technique and awareness mature. Ekwonu’s tape shows a tackle who can also play guard, not the other way around.”
Brugler further explained: “After numerous conversations with NFL scouts and league execs in preparation for this mock, there were two key takeaways that led me to Ekwonu here. First, there are several evaluators around the league who have Ekwonu ranked higher than Alabama’s Evan Neal and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross. Second, several evaluators agreed that in a draft class missing a no-brainer top prospect, they prefer the tackles over the pass rushers. I have no clue how the Jaguars feel, but Ekwonu at least belongs in this conversation.”
Ekwomu was the lone NC State football player taken in Brugler’s two-round mock draft.
The only other time in school 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 NFL 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 left the league in passing yards) and, like Williams, a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection. He played 16 years between the Rams and Eagles.
Top 10
- 1Trending
Connor Stalions
Ex-Michigan staffer coaching top QB target
- 2Hot
Kirby calls out Pope
Smart responds to viral video of Jake Pope postgame at Ole Miss
- 3
FSU cleans house
Seminoles fire both coordinators, WR coach
- 4
Paul Finebaum
Florida AD under fire for Napier announcement
- 5
UGA celebrates loss?
Georgia DB caught celebrating with Ole Miss fans on field
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 also 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.
——
• Talk about NC State football inside The Wolves’ Den
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker
• Like us on Facebook
