Chicago Bears Draft Scout: Duke Ejiofor

Parker Hurley

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 21: Nathan Cottrell

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.

Pro Comparison

Derrick Morgan

Morgan may be a better athlete than Duke Ejiofor, but the two get by in similar ways. Morgan is never going to be a ten sack. He has not recorded ten sacks in his eight year career. However, he was able to hold down an eight year career by being able to get into the backfield and cause havoc.

A lot of that comes from his ferocity in moving downhill and his hand usage. Morgan has survived scheme changes. coaching changes and players around him being shipped off and let go. Still, he has been able to hold down a starting spot in the NFL with his run stopping abilities.

Ejiofor can have an upside of a career such as that. He will have to work on his lateral ability, and the medical questions will linger, but he can be an impact player, especially on early downs in the NFL.

A fit for Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are one team that would have loved to see what Duke Ejiofor could have brought at the combine. His change of direction skills would have been put to the test, and the team could have run him through coverage drills. He had moments in coverage at Wake Forest, but not nearly enough to remain comfortable in what he could bring.

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Still, he is about the size of Pernell McPhee, and as a run stuffer opposite of Leonard Floyd, the fit can work. The Bears have a noted history of trusting players with an injury and let Eddie Jackson, an older prospect with injury questions fall into the fourth round for them. It helped them get a rookie starter, and there are chances Duke Ejiofor is the 2017 version of that for the Chicago Bears. The Bears were able to get their hands on his medicals during the combine. If they like what they saw they can bring him in for a Pro Day and try to see how great his change of direction ability is and go from there.

Parker Hurley

IUP Alum. Pittsburgh native. Follows NFL, NCAAB, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Steelers and Pirates critic, Penguins homer. Write about the Chicago Bears and other relevant NFL news