2025 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Boston College Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku

The Bengals could break their traditional preferences at defensive end with an explosive player from Boston College.

When it comes to defensive ends, the Cincinnati Bengals definitely have a preference. Towering players—usually around 6’4” and 270-plus pounds—check all the boxes, particularly those who can set the edge and contribute against the run.

These are admirable qualities, to be sure, and the team has a track record of productive players with that profile, to one extent or another. Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson formed a formidable duo, while others like Sam Hubbard, Eddie Edwards, Robert Geathers (yes, him), Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene, Trey Hendrickson, and many more have made their mark on the Bengals franchise.

While there has been the occasional inclusion of smaller pass rushers—Chris Smith, Jordan Willis, Reinard Wilson, among others—especially during the handful of years when they employed a 3-4 defense, Cincinnati has largely shied away from slighter builds on the edge. Yet, pairing “lightning” with the “thunder” might be just the spark the defense needs heading into 2025.

Enter Boston College edge defender Donovan Ezeiruaku. He had an explosive senior season that has propelled him into first-round conversations. Despite his slighter frame, his résumé suggests the potential to become the next star pass rusher in the NFL.

Donovan Ezeiruaku

• Height: 6’2 1/2”
• Weight: 248
• Age: 21
• Year: Senior
• Hometown: Williamstown, New Jersey
• RAS:

Background

When being courted for college football before the 2021 season, Ezeiruaku had plenty of options. Temple, Vanderbilt, and Northern Illinois all recruited him, but he chose the Golden Eagles over all of them to play college ball.

His college career featured a number of ebbs and flows, with heavy production coming largely during his sophomore and senior seasons. He saw the field right away as a freshman, notching two sacks, but had a breakout 2022 campaign with 8.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, and second-team All-ACC honors.

However, his pass-rush numbers dipped significantly in 2023, when he recorded just two sacks and seven tackles for loss. Pundits questioned whether his sophomore season was merely a flash in the pan—but he proved his critics wrong in a big way the following year.

In 2024, Ezeiruaku was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Ted Hendricks Award for the nation’s top defensive end, racking up 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss—both ACC highs for the season.

Strengths and Weaknesses

While at Boston College, Ezeiruaku played in the mid-230-pound range. To his credit, he bulked up a bit heading into the pre-draft process, but it remains to be seen how—or if—it will impact his effectiveness as a rusher.

Despite his smaller frame, he has longer arms that aid his pass-rush repertoire and has occasionally made plays in the run game. Pro Football Focus has ranked Ezeiruaku among the top three edge defenders in the class, citing his 90.7 pass-rush grade.

Questions about the peaks and valleys in his production between 2022 and 2024 still need to be answered. It’s one thing to have a quiet junior year before breaking out as a senior, but the significant dip in production during 2023 is eyebrow-raising.

Even with those questions, we’ve seen smaller edge rushers carve out impressive pro careers. Dwight Freeney and Elvis Dumervil come to mind. While Ezeiruaku may not have the same broad build as those two, his pass-rushing prowess shows signs of potential success at the next level.

Outlook

Those who have followed the Bengals for some time will remember the Baltimore Ravens’ reign of terror throughout the 2000s. Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, Chris McAlister, and many others wreaked havoc on opposing offenses for years.

One often-forgotten player from that Marvin Lewis-led defense was Peter Boulware—a tall, lanky edge defender/outside linebacker. At 6’4” and 255 pounds, he carved out a respectable career, logging 70 career sacks and earning four Pro Bowl nominations.

When Lewis was in Cincinnati, he occasionally tried to find a similar hybrid player for the Bengals, to no avail. Not only did Cincinnati primarily run a 4-3 defense at the time, but players they took chances on—such as David Pollack—had unfortunate ends to their pro careers.

Joseph Ossai is the closest edge defender on the roster in the Ezeiruaku physical mold (and that’s a stretch), coming in at 6’3” and roughly 263 pounds. Still, the sizzle Ezeiruaku could add, even in an initial rotational role, might elevate Cincinnati’s defense to the next level.

It’ll be interesting to see what new defensive coordinator Al Golden and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery look for in this year’s draft. Montgomery is familiar with multiple defensive fronts, so perhaps Ezeiruaku will intrigue the entire staff.

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