2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU

by Cory J. Bonini on March 14, 2013 @ 16:24:27 PDT

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Brigham Young defensive end Ezekiel Ansah missed out on the opportunity to play college basketball, so he turned his attention to football and is now among the most intriguing players at his position in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Nicknamed "Ziggy," Ansah racked up a do-all stat line in 2012: 62 tackles (13 for loss), nine pass breakups, one forced fumble, an interception and 4.5 sacks.

Freakish potential

Strengths

Excellent size (6-foot-5, 271 pounds) and speed (4.63-second 40 time) combination
Huge wingspan (35 1/8-inch arms) and hands (10 1/4 inches)
Just scratching the surface of his potential
Impressive balance, lateral agility and body control
Clogs passing lanes - shows awareness when taken out of the pass rush
Versatile - played rush linebacker, defensive end and D tackle at BYU
Strong tackler - wraps up well and drives players to the ground
Has flashed combo moves as a pass rusher - untapped potential to improve his technique

Weaknesses

Extremely raw and inexperienced - started playing in 2010 and has one season as a starter
Needs to improve his technique and hands to disengage
Lacks stamina
Can take himself out of plays by being too aggressive
Inconsistent run defender
Questionable dedication to the game - his heart is in basketball

Expected draft placement

Ansah could go anywhere in the top 20 of the first round. The Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 2), Oakland Raiders (No. 3), Detroit Lions (No. 5), San Diego Chargers (No. 11), Miami Dolphins (No. 12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 13) should be strongly interested in him. It is hard to imagine that he will fall past the New York Giants (No. 19), assuming the New Orleans Saints (No. 15) let him get that far.

About Cory J. Bonini

Cory is KFFL's General Manager. In late 2002, he joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, Bonini has been featured in print, on radio and on scores of websites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors. Follow @CoryKFFL