Josiah Ezirim, OT Eastern Kentucky: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Ezirim was a three-star defensive end recruit from Hilliard Davidson High School in Hilliard, Ohio in the class of 2019

Eastern Kentucky offensive tackle Josiah Ezirim is a small school prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s inexperienced and has plenty of room to develop, but his time might be best spent on the practice squad for a year or two instead of on the active roster.

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Josiah Ezirim, OT Eastern Kentucky: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year senior right tackle from Hilliard, Ohio

Background: Ezirim was a three-star defensive end recruit from Hilliard Davidson High School in Hilliard, Ohio in the class of 2019. He was the No. 126 strong side defensive end recruit according to 247Sports. Ezirim didn’t receive a national recruiting ranking from 247Sports, Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. As a high school senior, he helped Hilliard Davidson go 11-2, win a conference championship, and finish as the regional runner-up. Ezirim finished the year with 67 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. As a junior, he totaled 39 tackles and three sacks. His father, Josiah, played soccer at Ohio State University.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2019, three games in 2020, and six games in 2021

Awards: N/A

Pros: Only one penalty committed in 2022, room on his frame to add mass, high motor and battles every rep, starts the rep with good knee bend, aggressively steps to take the air out of pass rush reps, agility to carry pass rushers up the arc, clamp strength helps him recover and take over some reps, flashes of independent hand usage, showcases strong upper body when he gets into the defender’s frame, good awareness of the quarterback’s position in the pocket, awareness of stunts and blitzes, willing to finish defenders to the ground, seals run lanes, collapses the defensive line on run plays

Cons: One year of starting experience on the offensive line, competition level, high cut, looks lean for a lineman, lower body is lacking significant mass, arm length might fall below tackle thresholds, pad level rises quickly, hand placement can be low and wide, allows defenders into his chest, leans on defenders instead of using his arms to lock them up, initial kick step and slide are inconsistent, breakdowns in footwork compromise his outside shoulder, feet lack suddenness, late to anticipate and redirect for B-gap rush attempts, resorts to pushing and shoving defenders instead of mirroring them, struggles to anchor versus speed to power, base is broken by power too easily, long-arm moves cause issues, vulnerable to push pull move, forward momentum halted by contact, doesn’t generate consistent displacement in the run game, doesn’t look comfortable on gap runs as a puller, lumbers in space

Overview: Ezirim transitioned from defensive end to offensive tackle during his time at Eastern Kentucky, and this change is reflected in his body composition and structure. He still has plenty of room on his frame to add mass, but he’s lean and needs to add significant mass to his lower body. He currently lacks the lower body strength and density to anchor against power rushers and generate displacement in the run game consistently. Ezirim has a high motor and battles every snap, but he didn’t dominate against low level competition in 2022 and is high cut with questionable arm length for a tackle. Ezirim performed well in 2022 for a prospect seeing his first significant starting time at right tackle. However, he’s still far from being a high-level NFL prospect. Ezirim starts plays with good bend in his knees, but his pad level rises quickly. The Ohio native aggressively steps to take the air out of the pass rush and varies his approach in pass protection to keep defenders guessing. His hand placement can be low and wide, allowing defenders into his chest. When Ezirim gets too upright, he leans on defenders instead of using his arms to lock them up. His initial kick step and slide are inconsistent, and breakdowns in his footwork soften his outside shoulder. Ezirim lacks the sudden footwork to make up for when he loses steps. He resorts to pushing and shoving defenders instead of mirroring them. When Ezirim uses the correct form, he has enough agility to carry pass rushers up the arc and keep them in check. He’s late to anticipate and redirect for B-gap rush attempts, but his clamp strength helps him recover and take over some of those reps. The right tackle has surprising flashes of independent hand usage despite his inexperience. He showcases his strong upper body when he gets into the defender’s frame. Ezirim struggles to anchor versus speed to power, and his base is broken by power too easily. Long-arm and push-pull moves cause him problems. The fifth-year senior displays good awareness of the quarterback’s position in the pocket, consistently guiding defenders around and away from the ball. He also responds well to stunts and blitzes. Ezirim is willing to finish defenders to the ground in the run game. His strength seals run lanes and collapses the defensive line on down blocks. Ezirim doesn’t look comfortable on gap runs as a puller and lumbers in space. First contact often halts his momentum, preventing him from generating significant vertical displacement.

Overall, Ezirim has spurts of impressive play in pass protection, but he needs more time in the weight room to fill out his frame and increase his play strength. Ezirim will likely improve by leaps and bounds over the next few years since 2022 was his first season seeing starting snaps at right tackle. He’s currently on the level of a practice squad player rather than an early-career contributor.

Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental right tackle in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Seventh Round

Size: 6'6", 320 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-06-23