Emil Ekiyor has some intriguing tools and tape, but projects best as a right guard to the next level. Ekiyor played some left guard in 2019 fairly effectively, but has mostly done his job as a right guard. He looks small on the line because he plays so low to the ground, which is a positive. However, he played light at Alabama (305 lbs) and put on weight during the draft process, which means he might not carry it as well. 

Emil Ekiyor looks like he is the player that he is going to be. To me, Ekiyor is an undersized mauler who offers some good pass protection ability, and that’s not always a good thing. Maybe he can get better with his hands, but he’s been starting the last three season at Alabama, it is reasonable to assume that he’s as far as he’s going to go. 

Like the way Alabama Guard Emil Ekiyor consistently works getting to the 2nd level pic.twitter.com/6b2cw99I7I

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) January 22, 2023

Suffered an ankle injury in 2017 that forced him to miss his senior season of high school. Injured his knee in 2019 that forced him to miss a couple of games. Missed Spring Practice in 2021 with an injury. Suffered a shoulder injury in 2021 that he played through. Missed the first week of practice in 2022 with an injury and didn’t start week one as a result. 

Emil Ekiyor’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (35)

Athleticism: 15 

• Speed (5.5/7) – Effective athlete and can pull well. Moves decently well in space and finds work. 
• Lateral Quickness (6/8) – Very solid lateral quickness. 

Strength/Power: 20 

• Upper Body Strength (6/7) – Solid upper body strength. Shows extreme power. 
• Lower Body Strength (4.5/7) – Lacks some lower body strength that would help him drive and anchor better. 
• Brute Power (4.5/6) – Very much a brute and mauler. Wants to destroy people. His lack of weight and size might limit him from bullying around bigger defenders. 

Lineman Technique (55)

Anchor/Plant: 15 

• Anchor (6/8) – Has a very nice anchor. Struggles against power to consistently win, but does a good job preventing the play from blowing up. 
• Plant Recovery (5.5/7) – Shows some solid recovery when he’s dealing with power. Solid foot depth and width. 

Hand Usage: 10 –

• Placement (2/4) – Hand placement isn’t great. Looks lost at times and like he’s just throwing hands at times. 
• Hand Strength (2/3) – Has good hand strength, not great. 
• Technique (1.5/3) – Understands some of the finer nuances of positioning, but doesn’t seem to have a set technique, per say, that he relies on. 

Pass Block: 15 –

• Strength (6/8) – Strong pass blocker. Does a great job holding up. Measures his retreat well when he’s overpowered. Plays with a ridiculously low center of gravity. 
• Technique (5/7) – Looks fairly technical and understands how to position in his drop. Has allowed just two sacks in his entire collegiate career. 

Run Block: 15 –

• Strength (6/8) – Good strong run blocker when he can get his hat on a defender. 
• Technique (4/7) – Not as technical as a run blocker as he can be. 

Persona (10)

Football IQ: 5 –

• Understanding of Assignments (3.5/5) – Can be slow to read and react to assignments, especially as a run blocker. Doesn’t like not being active, wants to attack and looks for action. Flashes solid ability to pick up stunts and hand off assignments. 

Overall: (75) – 3rd/4th Round