Seahawks Draft Profile: Arnold Ebiketie

Still a relative novice to the sport, Ebiketie burst onto the scene in his only season for Penn State in the rugged Big Ten conference. While he still has much to learn, he's a refined pass rusher ready to make an instant impact with eventual starter-caliber talent.

With the 2022 NFL Draft set to kick off in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 28, the Seahawks will have a chance to kickstart a new era for the franchise with eight selections, including a top 10 pick and four picks total in the first three rounds.

Over the next month leading up to draft weekend, the Seahawk Maven writing staff will dish out in-depth profiles on numerous prospects who could be targets on Seattle's big board.

Opening the series, following a breakout season at Penn State, could Arnold Ebiketie be an early-round option to bolster the Seahawks' pass rush?

BACKGROUND

Born in Yaounde, Cameroon, Ebiketie's family migrated to the United States when he was 13 years old. Due to his father's growing interest in the game of football, he began playing the sport as a sophomore at Albert Einstein High School, seeing action as a linebacker and a receiver. At just 200 pounds, he had minimal interest from Division I schools, ultimately choosing Temple to continue his football career.

STRENGTHS

Though he has limited experience playing football compared to many of his peers, Ebiketie plays with skilled, fast hands at the point of attack and boasts a polished array of counter moves to disengage from blocks while rushing the quarterback. Among several quality counters at his disposal, he consistently did damage employing an inside stab move to beat speed-wary tackles inside and also has an effective swipe move he will deploy both as an upfield rusher and when navigating inside.

Arnold Ebiketie has been playing football since he was a sophomore in high school. Not very long, but you can't tell with how he uses his hands. Nice swipe move here at top of rush before flattening out and blasting QB, causing a fumble. pic.twitter.com/Xs8Gp8SkVX

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) March 28, 2022

As a speed rusher, Ebiketie makes up ground in a hurry and can win by effectively transitioning speed into power as a bull rusher, including when he slants hard inside and uses his quickness to split gaps. While he doesn't have the greatest bend at the top of his rush, he will surprise with his effectiveness on dip-and-rip moves and excels at flattening his upfield rush to hunt opposing passers. He's also effective when used as a looper on twist stunts where his athleticism allows him to wreak havoc as an interior rusher.

Defending the run, Ebiketie plays at his best when he's able to get narrow and knife through gaps into the backfield. His quickness and short-area explosion make him difficult to get a clean block on when he slants hard inside, and once he's gotten the first step through the gap, it's game over as he corrals the runner in the backfield.

This is the area of Arnold Ebiketie's game that has jumped out to me more as I've watched several games on All-22. He has underrated power as a rusher and coupled with his quickness slanting inside, he can be a real problem penetrating gaps to disrupt the pocket. pic.twitter.com/KS9tqdNy0j

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) March 28, 2022

From an effort standpoint, Ebiketie's motor runs chronically hot and he doesn't understand how to not play to the whistle. Even if his pass rush plan doesn't work as planned from the outset or he loses at the point of attack against the run, he continues to scrap and will willfully engage in a junkyard hand fight with opposing blockers aiming to get free and make a play.

WEAKNESSES

Despite pushing his weight up to 256 pounds during his collegiate career, Ebiketie has a lean lower body that limits his effectiveness as a run defender in the trenches. He can be knocked off the football, doesn't maximize on his length when stacked by blockers, and doesn't have the leg drive to be able to consistently hold serve against stronger offensive linemen, casting questions about his ability to be an every down defensive end in the league.

For all of his gifts as a hand technician, Ebiketie has too many rushes where he ends up getting locked up by opposing blockers in a stalemate and isn't able to shed loose in timely fashion. He will have to improve at using his length more effectively to keep hands off of his frame and give himself a better chance to use his active hands and athleticism to discard blocks.

Though he used to play linebacker, Ebiketie offers minimal experience dropping into coverage and while he has the athletic tools to handle such duties, it will take him time to develop in that capacity. Until this aspect of his game catches up with his pass rushing ability, he will be a bit one-dimensional if used in a 3-4 hybrid linebacker role.

FIT IN SEATTLE

After busting out with 9.5 sacks in his lone season with the Nittany Lions, Ebiketie looks ready to be unleased on opposing quarterbacks as a situational rotational rusher to launch his NFL career. Playing in a 3-4 scheme should be best-suited for his skill set, as his thin lower body may never be developed enough for him to be a 4-3 defensive end and he's at his best out wide playing from a two-point stance.

As an early second-round pick, Ebiketie could learn the ropes of playing coverage as a hybrid linebacker and wouldn't have to be rushed into a starting role with Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu in front of him on the depth chart. He could make an impact rotating in during true pass rushing situations out of sub-packages and in time, assuming he's a quick learner as he was adapting to rushing the passer after transitioning to defensive end in college, he has the upside to be a long-term starter with double-digit sacks potential for the Seahawks.