Height: 6040
Weight: 310
Hand Size: 1028
Arm Size: 3400
Wingspan: 8428
40-Yard Dash: 4.93
Vertical Jump: 29.0”
Broad Jump: 9’ 0”
3-Cone Drill: 7.82
Bench Press: 26
Games Watched: Miami 2020, Mississippi State 2021, Miami 2021, Florida State 2021, Clemson 2021
Ikem Ekwonu was a three year starter at N.C. State, starting 27 games at left tackle and four games at left guard for the Wolfpack. He is a tenacious player that plays through the whistle on a consistent basis, and excels when blocking in space. His upside in the run game is tremendous, with fluid climbs to the 2nd and 3rd levels to seal off defenders. While not perfect in pass protection, he has improved year over year in this area at college and shows enough flashes, specifically his ability to pass off stunts/games, to suggest he can be dominant with a bit of refinement. Ekwonu was on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List back in August, and for good reason. He had the 5th-fastest forty of OL at the Combine at 4.93, which is in the 95th percentile per MockDraftable.
Even though the New York Jets, on paper, have a strong tackle group in George Fant and Mekhi Becton, I believe Ekwonu should and is in the discussion for the 4th overall pick. He, as a prospect, is better than anyone they currently have in their tackle room, and would come in and be a Day 1 starter. Joe Douglas has been known to carry three starting quality tackles on his roster before (see 2021: Mekhi Becton, George Fant and Morgan Moses), and with the added level of uncertainty surrounding Becton’s health, Ekwonu would not be as much of a luxury pick as some might think. He will finish as the highest-rated player on my board from a film perspective, and could go a long way in helping determine the future of Zach Wilson and the Jets.