Arnold Ebiketie NFL Draft Overview
Position: Edge Rusher
Height: 6’2
Weight: 250 pounds
School: Penn State
Arnold Ebiketie 2022 NFL Draft Profile
Arnold Ebiketie is coming into the 2022 NFL Draft as one of the speedier athletes off of the edge. Ebiketie spent three seasons at Temple, before transferring over to Penn State in his senior season. In this three-season at Temple, Ebiketie played in 16 games, racking up 58 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. After his final season with the Temple Owls, Ebiketie was nominated to the Second-Team All-AAC.
When he arrived at Penn State, he played up to the level of competition. In his final collegiate season, Ebiketie played in 12 games, racking up 62 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, one pass deflection, two blocked kicks, and two forced fumbles. Ebiketie had a few impressive practices at the 2022 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, further proving the narrative that he can play against any level of competition. After his fantastic season with Penn State, Ebiketie was nominated to the FWAA Second-Team All American and the First-Team All Big-Ten.
Career pass-rush win rates on 3rd-and-4-plus, per @PFF:
Arnold Ebiketie (31%)
Kingsley Enagbare (27%)
Boye Mafe (26%)
Kayvon Thibodeaux (25%)
Aidan Hutchinson (24%)
George Karlaftis (21%)
Drake Jackson (20%)Josh Paschal (18%)
Jermaine Johnson (17%)Travon Walker (11%)
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) April 16, 2022
Strengths
- Brings all of the energy into his first punch;
- Great hand placement on the bull rush under the tackle’s pad, driving them back;
- Though run defense can be weak, he has the speed to patrol from sideline to sideline;
- Great tackler, tacking down players of any size;
- Average first step, good get-off on the snap;
- Wins reps with agility and penetration rather than just explosiveness;
- Great flexibility and bend around the edge;
- Long arms help elevate his pass-rush moves.
Weaknesses
- Will start out as a pass-rush specialist in the NFL due to a lack of experience against the run;
- Strength issues when defending against the run;
- Balance issues can affect his ability to finish reps against the run;
- Easily locked out of the backfield if the tackle gets his hands on Ebiketie early.
Teams With EDGE Need: Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts
Projection: Second Round
Bottom Line on Arnold Ebiketie
Ebiketie is one of the best speed rushers in this upcoming draft class. Based on his last collegiate season at Penn State coming from Temple, there isn’t a doubt he cannot handle the increased competition. His long arms help levitate his moves against opposing offensive tackles to go with his flexibility and explosive speed. Even though it is not his specialty, Ebiketie has the ability to bull rush the opposition into the backfield by getting under their pads. Though he struggles in the running game getting off blocks, Ebiketie’s speed and tackling ability make his ceiling higher, if the woes can be fixed.
His new team will need to refine his running game technique, as strength and balance are his weaknesses. Going to a team like the New York Giants or the Baltimore Ravens can bode well for Ebiketie since both teams have experience working with speed rushers more than power rushers. Both teams run 3-4 schemes, which is a better fit for him as an outside linebacker rather than playing a hand-in-dirt defensive end.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
