Justin Eboigbe, DL Alabama: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Eboigbe was a four-star recruit from Forest Park High School in Forest Park, Ga. in the class of 2019

Justin Eboigbe missed most of the 2022 season with a neck injury, but he had a breakout campaign in Nick Saban’s final year with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Eboigbe has some positional versatility and tweener traits. He projects as a mid Day 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Justin Eboigbe, DL Alabama: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior defensive lineman from Forest Park, Ga.

Background: Eboigbe was a four-star recruit from Forest Park High School in Forest Park, Ga. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 62 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 133 for Rivals, and No. 69 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 31st in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. Eboigbe also played basketball in high school. He received an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed nine games in 2022 with a season-ending neck injury

Awards: 2023 First Team All-SEC

Pros: Rarely penalized, filled out frame, flashes of quick initial step, fakes outside before working back inside, enough athleticism to cross the tackle’s face into the B-gap, hand swats and swipes, rip move, long-arm move, swim move, push-pull move, chains long-arm into a swim move, two-armed bull rush, powerful extensions, arm extension and leg drive led to an incredible sack vs. Texas A&M (2023), power and long-arm move really popped vs. Texas A&M (2023), builds and channels momentum on stunts, maintains leverage in the run game, wide base anchors well even against double teams, rarely displaced from his gap, power to set the edge, relentless pursuit, flows to the ball as a backside run defender, redirects well off blocks in the run game

Cons: Limited special teams versatility, neck injury, arm length measurement, tweener athletic traits, limited open field speed and closing burst, inconsistent pad level as a pass rusher, out-reached making him easier to move or block, limited bend working off the edge, not going to get low and win around the corner, lacks instant-win pass rush moves, stalemated too often one-on-one as a pass rusher, lacks pop in hands, bull rush often stalls, lacks diverse set of counters, struggles against double teams when rushing, pass rush limitations on display against LSU’s line (2023), doesn’t split double teams

Overview: Eboigbe didn’t play a versatile special teams role at Alabama, but he moved all along the defensive front. He aligned at 5-tech, 4-tech, 4i, 3-tech, and 2-tech in three-point stances and even took limited snaps at 1-tech and 0-tech. Eboigbe measured in with 32 7/8-inch arms at the Senior Bowl but an 80 3/8-inch wingspan. The wingspan is technically more important than the arm length, but it would’ve been nice for Eboigbe to at least hit 33 or 33.5 inches on his arms. While he uses an effective long-arm move, Eboigbe’s lack of length occasionally becomes a problem as a pass rusher. The redshirt senior has a well-developed, filled out frame and good power. There are plays where he flashes a quick initial step, but these are mixed in with lots of reps where his speed off the line is poor. As a pass rusher, Eboigbe fakes outside before working back into the B-gap. His pass rush arsenal includes hand swats and swipes and rip, long-arm, swim, and push-pull moves. One of his best moves involves chaining a long-arm into a swim move. He also uses a two-armed bull rush. Eboigbe’s hands lack pop, but his arm extensions generate plenty of force. He had a field day against Texas A&M because of the power generated by his long-arm move and leg drive. The Georgia native builds and channels momentum on stunts. He struggles to keep a low pad level as a pass rusher but maintains leverage in the run game. Eboigbe’s wide base helps him anchor and hold the point of attack against double teams. He is rarely displaced from his gap and has the power to set the edge. The former four-star recruit doesn’t have the speed and closing burst to be a consistent factor in pursuit, but that doesn’t stop him from relentlessly pursuing the ball carrier. Eboigbe quickly redirects off blocks in the run game because of his upper body strength and urgency in pursuit. NFL teams will have questions about his neck injury from 2022 and his true role at the next level. Eboigbe’s tweener athletic traits could become a negative if he doesn’t find a natural scheme fit. His arm length sometimes becomes a factor when rushing the passer. Tackles land their punches and place their hands first, and Eboigbe lacks the counters and dynamic athleticism to overcome these obstacles. He doesn’t have enough bend to work off the edge and threaten tackles around the corner. Eboigbe doesn’t have an instant-win pass rush move in his toolbox. His lack of counters and average athletic traits lead to his bull rush stalling and him being stalemated too often. Eboigbe is an athletically and technically limited pass rusher.

Overall, Eboigbe is a quality rotational player who is a disciplined and effective run defender with some pass rush upside. Unfortunately, he lacks the pass rush plan and athletic traits to apply pressure at a consistent clip. Eboigbe is a bit of a physical tweener who might be asked to add or drop weight depending on a team’s preferred role for him.

Role & Scheme Fit: Base 4-3 defensive end or developmental 3-tech

Round Projection: Fifth Round

Size: 6041, 292 lbs. (Senior Bowl)

Submitted: 02-14-24