Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Ezeiruaku was a three-star recruit from Williamstown High School in Williamstown, N.J. in the class of 2021

Boston College All-American Donovan Ezeiruaku recently completed a strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. Ezeiruaku should contend for a late first round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s more polished than most of the pass rushers receiving early first round buzz.

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Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge Boston College: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior outside linebacker from Williamstown, N.J.

Background: Ezeiruaku was a three-star recruit from Williamstown High School in Williamstown, N.J. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 1,240 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,085 for On3.com. Ezeiruaku was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 74 grade out of 100. He was a team captain as a senior, producing 47 tackles with nine tackles for loss and two sacks. Ezeiruaku totaled more than 50 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2019, leading Williamstown to a 12-1 record and the New Jersey South/Central Group 5 Regional Championship. He played multiple positions in high school, including tight end, wide receiver, defensive end, and outside linebacker. Ezeiruaku also competed in 7-on-7 football and the discus, shot put, long jump, and triple jump events on the track and field team.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2022 Second Team All-ACC, 2024 First Team All-ACC, 2024 First Team All-American, 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, 2024 Ted Hendricks Award

Pros: Special teams experience on the punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, arm length, springy and loose mover, off-ball linebacker-caliber fluidity and COD, sudden mover with short-area explosiveness, explosive athlete, impressive straight line speed and closing burst, speed rush, well-timed and accurate chops, inside spin counter, long-arm move, two-handed swipe, flashes of speed to power, rip move, chop-rip, cross-chop, instant-win swim move, spin move, outside spin counter off an inside swim, ghost move, dips and bends to get way under the tackle’s hands, gets low with bend to flatten rush angle, excellent inside speed counter, sudden counters into the B-gap, maintains speed through finesse rush moves, rarely misses sack opportunities, consistent forced fumble production, motor runs hot in pursuit, pursuit range, hawks down ball carriers to the sideline, athleticism makes him a threat vs. RPOs, quickly flows down the LOS to the football, threat as a backside run defender, stacks and separates from run blocks with his long arms

Cons: Lean frame and low weight, role-specific player at his size, heavy reliance on speed rush, inconsistent power profile as a rusher, long-arm move gets snatch-trapped, stout tackles re-anchor after his initial pop, lack of mass could be issue at POA, play strength limits ability to rush through double teams, on the ground a lot vs. Missouri (2024), knocked backward by some pulling guards, gets sealed inside on off-tackle runs if he bites down

Overview: Ezeiruaku is a lean outside linebacker who primarily played 5-tech and wide-9 for Boston College. He sports anywhere from 34-inch (Combine) to 34.5-inch (Senior Bowl) arms and is one of the most athletic pass rushers in the 2025 class. He’s a springy, loose athlete with elite fluidity and change of direction skills to mirror and hawk down quarterbacks on RPOs and running backs in space. Ezeiruaku’s sudden movement skills and short-area burst make him a multi-faceted weapon. He explodes off the line of scrimmage and showcases the speed and closing burst to generate immediate pressure on the outside track. His pass rush plan includes impressive chops, cross-chops, chop-rips, ghosts, long-arms, rips, spins, swims, and two-handed swipes. He’ll counter with inside spins or work an outside spin off an inside swim. His swim move is one of his go-to attacks for quick wins. Ezeiruaku occasionally flashes speed to power but lacks the mass to generate consistent bull rushes. Instead, he heavily relies on his speed and bend since offensive tackles absorb and re-anchor against most of his power rushes. The New Jersey native needs to add some more counters off his long-arm to prevent himself from getting snatch-trapped. His impressive bend helps him execute ghost moves and flatten his rush angle to the quarterback. Ezeiruaku also possesses an arsenal of B-gap counters. He’s a constant threat to work inside because of his ability to execute sharp cuts while maintaining his speed. Ezeiruaku has forced eight fumbles over the past three seasons and has a nose for the football. His motor runs hot in pursuit, and his range makes him a threat to chase down ball carriers. The All-American stacks and separates from blocks thanks to his impressive arm length. His lack of mass occasionally becomes an issue at the point of attack. Anchoring in place against linemen pushing vertically isn’t Ezeiruaku’s game. He’s much better at penetrating or pursuing than trying to compress gaps between the tackles. Sometimes he collapses too far inside on run plays and loses contain.

Overall, Ezeiruaku is one of the most explosive, loose, and bendy pass rushers in an ultra-athletic edge class. His lack of mass creates some limitations, but his upside as a pass rusher makes him worth considering in the first round. Ezeiruaku’s pass rush plan ranks among the most advanced in the 2025 class.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Grade: Second Round

Size: 6’2 1/2’’, 248 lbs. (NFL Combine)

Submitted: 01-11-25

Updated: 03-03-25