Tag: Ezekiel Ansah

Ezekiel Ansah scouting report

Scouting Reports - 2013
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Ezekiel Ansah DE BYU #47
Ht: 6’5″
Wt: 271

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Size/Athleticism: Tall and well built. Really long arms gives him exception length and allows him to play with leverage. Bench press at the combine was below average, but considering his long arms it shouldn’t be a concern. He clearly plays with upper body strength and that’s what matters.

Run Defense: Surprisingly patient and does a nice job anticipating. Impressive speed in short bursts, closes quickly on the ball carrier. Strong upper body allows him to shed blocks fairly consistently. Stout at the point of attack. Uses his length to get good leverage and holds his ground.

Pass Rush: Can bull rush his way into the backfield when he’s in a one-on-one situation but lacks the pass-rush moves to maneuver his way around strong offensive linemen who hold off his initial push. Unbelievable initial pop; he can knock lineman to the ground with one blow. But needs to rely on more than just his strength.

Versatility: Lined up all over the field and end, three-technique, nose tackle and linebacker. Best suited for playing a 4-3 end position, but could definitely play linebacker in a 3-4. May lack some of the lateral movement required to really excel at linebacker, however.

Intangibles: Intelligent off the football field. Relatively new to the sport. Enrolled at BYU to participate in track and field. Joined football team in 2010.

Durability: No known issues.

Comments: In terms of raw talent, Ansah is the premier defensive end in this year’s draft class. He may not make a significant impact as a rookie due to the fact that he’s still learning the nuance of being a well-rounded pass-rusher, but there is no denying his raw skill set. He’s an intelligent guy on and off the field and there’s no reason to believe he won’t dedicate himself to learning the sport and developing into an elite player.

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Senior Bowl notes

2013 NFL Draft
Comments

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  • Kyle Long missed some opportinuties due to the flu, but he played on Monday and showed off his athleticism. However, he clearly lacks the fundamentals to start immediately at either tackle position. If a team wants to play him immediately it needs to be at left guard, where he primarily played at Oregon. But in a year or two he could develop into a left tackle once he refines his technique.
  • John Simon has been playing linebacker after spending his career at Ohio State primarily playing with his hand on the ground. He has experience at end and tackle, and for good reason. Simon simply lacks the athleticism to play linebacker and he has been exposed in coverage drills.
  • Robbie Rouse will make his living at the next level as third-down back, which requires strong blocking skills. It’s a tough skill to learn for undersized backs like Rouse, and he’s shown that he still has a ways to go. There’s a lot to like about his playmaking ability but he isn’t ready for that role just yet.
  • Jordan Poyer has helped himself as much as anyone this week. The Oregon State cornerback lacks elite athleticism but never backs down from a matchup and knows how to use his physical tools to his advantage. In one particular matchup against speedster Marquise Goodwin, Poyer jammed him and clearly won the battle by knocking him off the route early.
  • Speaking of Goodwin, he has impressed with his speed but lacks the overall tools to be anything more than a deep threat and return specialist at this stage of his career.
  • Aaron Dobson is another who has the speed to stretch the field but has done little else. He isn’t particularly physical hasn’t been able to create separation on shorter routes.
  • Chris Harper has been impressive so far. The former quarterback lacks the athleticism to be a deep threat, but he is a surprisingly polished route runner and looks like a prototypical possession receiver.
  • Eric Fisher has arguably been the most impressive prospect in Mobile. He was a likely top-10 pick before the week began, but there were still some concerns about making the jump from the MAC to the NFL. After three days of practice, there are no more questions lingering. Fisher is an elite prospect and could come off the board in the top five.
  • On the defensive side of the ball, the bigger winner this week has been Datone Jones. He has played end and tackle at UCLA and entered the week as a ‘tweener but he answered any questions out there about his athleticism. Jones clearly has the ability to contribute as a pass rusher on the edge and should now be considered a first-round lock.
  • Terrence Williams is one of my favorite prospects but I’ve been somewhat disappointing from what I’ve seen this week. He struggles to separate on the deep routes, making him more of a one-dimensional receiver than I initially thought. I had previously compared him to a young Andre Johnson, but without the ability to separate deep he may be more of an Anquan Boldin type. Either way, I still like him as a first-round prospect.
  • Ezekiel Ansah has been hyped up as an elite talent, albeit a raw one. So far I just haven’t seen it, either on tape or at the Senior Bowl. He has an NFL body but he isn’t nearly as athletic as he’s been made out to be. The Jason Pierre-Paul comparisons just don’t hold up. He reminds me more of Frostee Rucker. I still expect him to be in the first-round conversation, but I definitely will not giving him a first-round grade. There are just too many questions and not nearly enough potential to make up for it.
  • Oday Aboushi has been among the most disappointing prospects. I had only seen a limited amount of him during the season and was hopeful that he would show the athleticism to play left tackle. But his performance in Mobile has shown just the opposite. He may not even have the athleticism to play on the right side. On top of the limited quickness, he’s also looked soft. I wouldn’t touch him until the third round.
  • One of the biggest surprises has been Georgia’s Cornelius Washington. He played both end and linebacker in Georgia’s 3-4 but has been playing end at the Senior Bowl. He’s more athletic than I expected and has blown past a few linemen off the snap. He entered the week as a fringe prospect but may be solidifying his spot in the middle rounds of the draft.

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