Duke Ejiofor, Linebacker
Rookie linebacker Duke Ejiofor had a little something extra to prove in the preseason opener. The Wake Forest standout slid to the Texans in the sixth round after spending the summer rehabbing his torn labrum. Early draft projections had Ejiofor slotted in the third round before he opted to surgically repair his shoulder following the 2018 season. He looked to be one of the top pass rushers in the class with 34 tackles for loss and 17 sacks in his final two seasons as a Demon Deacon. However, his draft stock began to decline as scouts labeled him injury prone and gave a critical review of his college film. Ejiofor was unable to alleviate growing concern over his ability, as his injury sidelined him from the Senior Bowl as well as the Scouting Combine. Ultimately, he fell to the Texans at pick 177 and found himself on the starting defense Thursday night against Kansas City.
No doubt the Texans’ coaching staff had eyes on Duke Ejiofor, he has the makings to be the steal of the draft. They had to have liked what they saw as the rookie was disrupting the backfield from his first snap. He landed three hits on the quarterback in the stat book and brought pressure changing the course of several plays. The staff even brought him back into the game in the fourth quarter to help prevent a Kansas City comeback. They aren’t the only ones that want to see more of The Duke.
The Houston Texans already roster a defense that keeps opposing offensive coordinators up at night. Despite knocks on Ejiofor’s natural athleticism, Romeo Crennel’s scheme might be the perfect system to utilize his superlative technique and refined skill-set. Finding starter talent in the sixth round is the kind of moves the Texans need to make to compete in the AFC. Especially this year, considering they traded away their first and second round picks prior to the draft. Expect Ejiofor to introduce himself to Jimmy Garoppolo this Saturday as he pushes to further carve out a role in the Texans star-studded cast of a defense.
Next Page: No. 1
