Joshua Ezeudu’s mother moved to the United States from Nigeria while pregnant with Joshua. He started playing football for the first time during high school and became a 28-game starter at North Carolina where he started games at left tackle, left guard and right tackle. While he can play tackle in the NFL in a pinch, his calling card will be at guard. Ezeudu is an aggressive blocker that has ideal temperament in the run game. In pass protection, Ezeudu does well to frame blocks, stay square and absorb power. The key for Ezeudu moving forward is playing with better control which stems from being more consistent to play with better bend and willingness to not sit on his hips. In year one, Ezeudu should be a versatile reserve but has the upside to develop into a starter by Year Two/Three. The coaches at UNC rave about his football character.

Ideal Role: Developmental starting guard

Scheme Fit: Any

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Joe Marino 

Games watched: Texas A&M (2020), Florida State (2020), NC State (2020), Virginia Tech (2021), NC State (2021), South Carolina (2021) 

Best Game Studied:Virginia Tech (2021)

Worst Game Studied: Texas A&M (2020) 

Competitive Toughness: Ezeudu has ideal play temperament and desire to get after people. There is an apparent finishers mentality in how he plays the game. He has shown a willingness throughout his football career to put the team first and change positions. 

Balance: Can be guilty of getting too eager into contact and losing control. There are some issues with overextending and waste bending that present. He approaches blocks in good positions but needs to be more wiling to sit on his hips to remain balanced. 

Anchor Ability: Ezeudu showcases the ability to absorb contact and leverage his hips. Defenders have a challenging time playing through him. His anchor could be even more stout with more consistent bend and leverage. 

Lateral Mobility: Ezeudu isn’t the most explosive in terms of lateral quickness but I find myself impressed with his ability to execute reach blocks and lock down the backside cut off on outside zone. With plenty of experience as a tackle, Ezeudu has proven able to mirror rushers off the edge with his ability to slide and redirect. He is sufficient. 

Power at POA: Ezeudu has sufficient power at the point of attack. He could be even more effective with better leverage and bend. He has good latch strength and he’s physical and aggressive when getting after opponents. 

Hand Technique: Punch is compact and effective. He battles hard for positioning and has firm grip strength once the clamps are set. They can occasionally get wide but more times than not he does well to control at the POA with his hands. 

Football IQ: Ezeudu got a late start to football but has come along at an impressive rate. He didn’t play guard at all until coming to North Carolina and held his own. The UNC coaching staff used him in a variety of positions and stated he can play any of the five spots up front. 

Versatility: Ezeudu has started his share of games at left tackle, left guard and right tackle. He can hold his own in gap or zone schemes. He has the length and experience to get a team out of a game at tackle but does project best to guard in the NFL. 

Pass Sets: Ezeudu’s experience at tackle is a major asset in his ability to frame rushers. At guard, he’s able to stay square and drop his anchor to protect the depth of the pocket. He has the length needed to survive on the edge. The key is trusting his anchor and being willing to sit on his hips. 

Flexibility: Ezeudu has sufficient flexibility but he won’t be confused as overly loose and springy. He takes good angles and competes for body positioning which makes him effective on reach blocks. 

SCOUT GRADES

TDN Consensus: To Be Determined

Crabbs Grade: 73.00/100

Marino Grade: 72.00/100