Chicago Bears Draft Scout: Duke Ejiofor

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Is Wake Forest Edge prospect Duke Ejiofor a good fit for the Chicago Bears?

Duke Ejiofor redshirted his freshman year but came along over the next two seasons while at Wake Forest. His RS Junior year featured 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, leaving some wondering if he was going to enter the NFL draft in 2016. However, he came back, and while he dealt with a shoulder injury and saw less production, posting 7.5 sacks with 17 tackles for loss, it was still a productive year. Where does the RS Senior fall in line with the rest of his draft class and does he fit the Chicago Bears style of pass rusher?

Measurables:

Age: 23

Strengths

Duke Ejiofor is an upfield penetrator. When he gets a gap and knows where to attack, he is getting there fast. He can show elite closing speed and downhill momentum when he has that space.

This can show well for Ejiofor in stunts and delayed rushes, where he is able to find a gap in the offensive line and explode into it. It gives Duke Ejiofor a floor in the NFL as a run defender. The tackles for loss are going to come.

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Duke Ejiofor also has great arm length, and with that understands how to use his reach and hands to create separation. Ejiofor has a variety of moves to get into the backfield with his combination of length and strength when moving downhill into the backfield.

He can also use his violent hands to bat away offensive tackles and get into the backfield when rushing the passer. Ejiofor has a decent arsenal of pass rushing moves due to his excellent hand usage, and a spin move that can generate power.

Weaknesses

The biggest question with Duke Ejiofor will be his health. He had offseason shoulder surgery and missed doing any testing at the combine because of this. His medicals came back more positive than anything else, however, he has missed nine games over three different seasons. The questions will linger, even if he is in camp. He also will be 23 years old when the season starts. He needs to produce in the NFL immediately due to his age disparity of being a RS Senior because he will not get a second contract until he is almost 28 years old.

Ejiofor missing the combine will also have questions remain about just how athletic he is. As mentioned, downhill and with a path he is excellent. He can create a path with nuanced hand usage but did not win often with power, burst, or bend around the edge. In the play below, you can see that he is the last player out of stance when heading towards the ball. This is not a rare occurrence for Ejiofor.

He also has issues moving laterally. He loses a lot of his power and quickness and can be taken out of plays when he has to move side to side. In the play below, a tight end, 81, is able to seal him off on the edge on a cut back play. He cannot be that easy to move laterally.

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