There’s an expression that it’s not about what you know, it’s who you know.
That’s often true in business and can also trickle into the sports world. The Green Bay Packers are set to pick at No. 23 overall. If they prioritize edge rusher, Donovan Ezeiruaku would have a head start on anyone else at the position they would consider in the first round.
Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley recruited Ezeiruaku at Boston College. In four years, Ezeiruaku piled up 30 sacks and 47 tackles for loss. He saved his best for last by dominating in 2024 with 16.5 sacks.
Hafley is familiar with Ezeiruaku, as is Ezeiruaku with Hafley and his scheme. It offers Ezeiruaku a head start in that the Packers can easily bounce questions off Hafley about the Boston College product if he has caught Green Bay’s eye. And there wouldn’t be as great of a learning curve for Ezeiruaku to get acclimated to Halfley’s pro defense. Familiarity provides comfortability, and that can go a long way.
It just so happens the Packers also need an edge rusher. The front office might not feel as urgent about it as some analysts assumed, with Brian Gutekunst shedding some light on his view of the position on Monday when he spoke to reporters in West Palm Beach.
I think we can do everything we need to do with the players we have on our roster right now. I think there’s a significant amount of improvement for those guys, not only in Year 2 of a scheme but just individually as well. We’ve invested in that quite a bit already, and I’m excited to see the growth that those guys will have.
Gutekunst may have great belief in the players they already have on the roster. Still, let’s not forget he won’t tip his hand right before the draft.
As for Ezeiruaku specifically, he checks some of the typical Packers boxes — but not all of them.
Green Bay tends to select players with high Relative Athletic Scores. Gutekunst hasn’t ever said they treat RAS as gospel, but it’s evident the Packers lean towards taking athletic marvels. Ezeiruaku tested high in this department, posting an RAS score of 8.28 out of 10.
Ezeiruaku’s size is where he doesn’t fit the mold. Despite being undersized, he’s found ways to produce at a high level.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described it well.
Ezeiruaku uses every bit of his length paired with aggression to mitigate size differences at the point of attack. He gets engulfed at times but typically separates from or slips blocks cleanly. He’s quick off the snap, using bend and agility to win at the top of the rush or make stops in the backfield. His hands exploit small advantages to turn them into big ones and he has a variety of ways to challenge protection, though he’s still learning to craft his plans.
The lack of size is more than made up for by Ezeiruaku’s quickness and athleticism. It worked in the ACC, and many analysts believe his game will translate at the next level. And it certainly helps that Hafley knows exactly what Green Bay would be getting.
There’s no such thing as having too many pass rushers. The Packers need to add depth, at minimum. They can one-up that idea by adding early and adding a potential impact player to the edge rusher room.
Ezeiruaku’s tape speaks for itself. The Packers have never been shy about their fondness for athletic freaks, as evidenced by their interest in Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness. Neither stacked up big numbers in college but stood out for other reasons.
Ezeiruaku offers a changeup in that he is known for his athletic prowess and has also backed it up by posting the second-most sacks in the country a year ago when he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Green Bay struggled to get home with just four in 2024, a topic on the minds of many this offseason after the Packers failed to bring in reinforcements via free agency.
Even if the Packers were to draft an edge rusher like Ezeiruaku early, there would be big-time expectations for Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness to be better in 2025. Ezeiruaku, specifically, can help alleviate a lot of that as a plug-and-play option who can slowly get implemented as a rookie. Hafley’s knowledge of exactly what he brings to the table and how to use him puts Ezeiruaku ahead of other potential prospects.
