Ikenna Enechukwu, EDGE Rice: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Enechukwu was a two-star recruit from Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Mo. in the class of 2018

The Rice Owls are far from a football powerhouse, but the program could see one of its players land on a pro roster in the 2023 NFL Draft. Hybrid defensive lineman Ikenna Enechukwu impressed at points over the past two years and had a strong showing at the Shrine Bowl. He should go on Day 3 of the draft.

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Ikenna Enechukwu, EDGE Rice: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year redshirt junior defensive lineman from Kansas City, Mo.

Background: Enechukwu was a two-star recruit from Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Mo. in the class of 2018. He was an unranked two-star recruit for 247Sports and Rivals. Enechukwu was the No. 2,643 (three-star) recruit for On3.com and didn’t receive a star ranking or recruit ranking from ESPN. He earned Second-Team Class 5 All-State honors from the Missouri Football Coaches Association and the media as a senior. Enechukwu led Ruskin to its first win in the state playoffs since 1991 despite only having 19 players for the contest. He was a three-year starter on the football team. He was a state qualifier and an All-District selection as a wrestler at 220 pounds. He also participated in the marching band. 

2022 Production: 13 games, 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 31 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

2021 Production: 12 games, 49 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 32 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

2020 Production: 5 games, 10 tackles

2019 Production: 11 games, 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 8 pressures, 1.5 sacks

2018 Production: 1 game (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Played through a leg injury in 2021

Awards: Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2019-2022, 2021 Honorable Mention All-CUSA (coaches), 2022 Honorable Mention All-CUSA (coaches)

Pros: Positional versatility, motor runs hot, room to add mass to his frame, arm length, violent arms and hands, gets into the lineman’s pads, rip move, swim move, push-pull move, two-armed bull rush, double-hand swipes, hands latch and rip offensive linemen off balance, uncoils out of stance and fires into the lineman, fires off the line with leverage, powerful leg drive, bull rush gave USC’s (2022) linemen issues, loves to engage and lock out linemen with his long arms before disengaging into a rip move, creates easy separation from blockers with arm length

Cons: Age, five penalties committed in 2022, only faced three Power Five teams from 2021-22, change of direction skills, average bend at best because of lower body tightness, pad level rises quickly, pass rush wins are more gradual than sudden, pass rush plan is still developmental, doesn’t always approach the offensive lineman with a plan, reps where he fails to deploy counters, foot speed could improve, explosiveness off the line is inconsistent, relies heavily on his physical strength, doesn’t maintain speed and momentum on stunts, bogged down by double teams, doesn’t set a hard edge against the run, loses track of the ball on run plays, sealed or collapsed in the run game

Overview: Enechukwu took official measurements at the Shrine Bowl. He’s 6040 and weighs 266 lbs. He has 9 1/2-inch hands, 33 5/8-inch arms, and an 82 1/8-inch wingspan. Rice allowed Enechukwu to rush from two and three-point stances. His role with the team changed over the last two years of his career. In 2021, he primarily reduced inside and played 4i or 3-tech, but he spent most of 2022 operating as a traditional 5-tech. He found substantial success at the Shrine Bowl playing 3-tech. Enechukwu is a high-effort player with good arm length and room to add more mass to his frame. His hands are violent and get into the offensive lineman’s pads. As a pass rusher, Enechukwu uses rip, swim, and push-pull moves along with a two-armed bull rush. He frequently goes for double-handed swipes or latches onto the lineman before ripping him down with his upper body strength. The Missouri native uncoils from his stance and fires into linemen with good leverage and powerful leg drive. His bull rush gave USC a lot of trouble this past season. Enechukwu loves to engage and lock out linemen with his long arms before disengaging into a rip move. He creates easy separation from blockers as a pass rusher because of his arm length. Enechukwu is an older prospect, but he still has a lot to learn about his position. He benefited from facing lesser competition at the collegiate level but still never really dominated. Enechukwu only saw action against three Power Five teams in the past two years. He has average to below average change of direction skills and limited bend because of lower body tightness. His pad level rises quickly, and his pass rush wins are more gradual than sudden. The former two-star recruit doesn’t always approach plays with a pass rush plan, and his overall pass rush plan is still developmental. There are reps where Enechukwu doesn’t deploy counters or gets too lazy with his hands. His foot speed and explosiveness off the line are inconsistent. He relies a lot on his upper body strength to pull or toss linemen, which will become more difficult in the NFL. Enechukwu gets bogged down by double teams and doesn’t set a hard edge against the run. He’s too easily sealed or collapsed.

Overall, Enechukwu has an NFL body with some attractive power and physical tools, but he’s far from a finished product. The Rice product should hear his name called on Day 3 of the draft by a team with a strong track record of physically filling out and developing defensive linemen.  

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Sixth to Mid Seventh

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 02-20-23