Tag: josiah ezirim

Saints waive rookie draft pick Josiah Ezirim, a prime practice squad candidate

The New Orleans Saints waived rookie draft pick Josiah Ezirim, a prime practice squad candidate. The young offensive lineman needs more reps:

One of the New Orleans Saints’ first roster cuts on Tuesday was Josiah Ezirim, who they just drafted back in April. The former Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman was selected late in the seventh round at No. 239 overall. NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that Ezirim “is being waived with the expectation to return to the team’s practice squad.”

The 23-year-old needs more reps. Ezirim only lined up on offense for a few years in college (starting two seasons at right tackle) after being recruited to EKU as a defensive tackle. When he joined the Saints, they flipped him to the left side of the line. He’s a gifted athlete and should develop well with more time.

Still, it’s never great to see a draft pick let go before they’ve taken a single snap in the regular season. This is a good reminder that there’s little difference between late-round draft picks and undrafted players. In many cases those prospects are graded the same by scouts and they’re only drafted at all because a coach or someone in the personnel department stood up on a table for them. We’ll see if Ezirim clears waivers and stays in New Orleans.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Countdown to Kickoff: Josiah Ezirim is the Saints Player of Day 72

Countdown to Kickoff: Josiah Ezirim is the Saints Player of Day 72. He has all the tools to succeed, but his NFL journey will happen one step at a time:

We’re down to 72 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, which makes the player of the day Josiah Ezirim. The current owner of the No. 72 jersey was drafted earlier this year out of Eastern Kentucky, and he’s facing an uphill battle to make the team. Let’s get to know him a little better:

  • Name (Age): Josiah Ezirim (23)
  • Position: Offensive tackle
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 329 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 8.50
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $819,604
  • College: Eastern Kentucky
  • Drafted: 7th round in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: Rookie

Ezirim played on the defensive line through high school and his first couple of years in college football, until his coaches convinced him to try out at offensive tackle in 2021. He excelled in that role and started 19 games at right tackle to close out his career at Eastern Kentucky, ending his 2023 season with spots on the All-American second team and All-UAC Team.

Still, he has a lot to learn before he’ll be ready to play heavy minutes on Sundays. Ezirim is a very good athlete for his size and that allows him to recover from mistakes in his pass-set technique, but that’ll be tough to pull off against other great athletes in the NFL. He’s learned the ropes rapidly at a lower level of competition. He just needs more time and experience.

So what does a successful rookie year look like for him? Ezirim needs to prove he’s a better option to roster as the ninth or tenth offensive lineman than other guys like Kyle Hergel or Sincere Haynesworth. Just making the 53-man roster and hanging on for 18 weeks would be enough to see from him. If he beats those expectations by dressing out on Sundays or getting on the field as an extra blocker or emergency backup and holding his own, even better. Fans should just remember to keep expectations tempered for Ezirim as he adjusts to life in the NFL.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

WATCH: Josiah Ezirim gets draft-day call from Saints in must-see video

It’s hard to not get excited seeing Josiah Ezirim’s reaction to being drafted by the Saints. He’s going to have a lot of fans at training camp:

Some guys are just easy to root for when they make it to the NFL. And New Orleans Saints rookie draft pick Josiah Ezirim falls squarely in that camp. His father Emmanuel shared a video on social media of the moment his son received a life-changing phone call from the Saints, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Ezirim’s energy is infectious. He’s all but bursting at the seams, amped up and ready to go to work, rocking back and forth and slapping his thigh while speaking with the Saints. Overwhelmed in the moment, it took about a minute for him to think to tell his family which team he was speaking to.

So expect Ezirim to have plenty of fans at Saints training camp this summer. The Eastern Kentucky right tackle has only played the position for a few years after playing defense through high school and early on in his college career, but he dominated his competition at EKU. Pro Football Focus charting found that he didn’t allow a sack or even a quarterback hit on almost 500 snaps in pass protection last season. If he can harness this energy and enthusiasm and keep his arrow trending in the right direction, he could turn out to be another quality late-round find for the Saints.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints select a little-known offensive lineman with their final 2024 draft pick

The Saints spent their final pick in the 2024 draft on Eastern Kentucky OT Josiah Ezirim, who Jahri Evans coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl:

The New Orleans Saints spent their final pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Josiah Ezirim, an Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman, who they selected at No. 239 overall. That’s the pick they got back from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Wil Lutz last year. So what’s his story?

Ezirim turns 23 in May, and he played a lot of snaps at Eastern Kentucky over  the last two years while starting at right tackle. Pro Football Focus charting found that he allowed just two sacks during that time, and he was nearly perfect on a career-high 490 snaps in pass protection last season. The Colonels ran with zone-blocking schemes on 81.4% of their rushing attempts the last two years, so he has a good feel for what the Saints are looking to do offensively.

He also has a clear connection to the Saints. Ezirim was one of the players Jahri Evans coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this offseason, giving him a hands-on look at the future pro. And Ezirim hits many of the athletic thresholds the Saints value. He weighed in at 6-foot-5 and 328 pounds with 35-inch arms. His 8.50 Relative Athletic Score lines up well with the Saints’ preferences. We’ll see if he stays on the right side (the same side that first-round draft pick Taliese Fuaga will be playing) or if the Saints envision him at a different spot. But he checks all of their boxes. It makes sense to stack depth given Ryan Ramczyk’s health concerns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]