The list of first-round prospects who fit the San Francisco 49ers extensive list of needs is long. There's one who stood out to us as we went through and studied some of the players who could be on the board for the 49ers when they're on the clock with the No. 11 pick.
Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku isn't a projected top 10 pick. He's not even a projected top 15 selection. ESPN's Matt Miller recently wrote Ezeiruaku's stock is rising, and he's now getting top-25 consideration after beginning the draft process as a Day 2 prospect.
Let's forget for a moment projection and mock drafts and value and strictly look at Ezeiruaku as a player.
First, he fits the 49ers' biggest need. San Francisco should be in the business of finding good players regardless of position, but it's a bonus if they can find a high-level player to help fill out their suddenly desolate defensive line.
Ezeiruaku checks virtually every box a team looking for an edge rusher could want. He measured in at 6-2, 248 pounds which is a little light for a 4-3 defensive end, but he has 34-inch arms and uses them to effectively mitigate some of the problems caused by his lack of desirable size. Ezeiruaku is also not an elite athlete on paper, but he flashes good explosiveness, balance, bend and motor on film.
He used those athletic tools to rack up a whopping 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss last season, giving him 47 TFLs and 30.0 sacks in 47 games across four college seasons.
While the pass rushing tools and production line up, one of the most encouraging things about Ezeiruaku as a prospect is how well he held up against the run. There are times he struggles to set the edge, to be sure. Still, Pro Football Focus graded him out with an 81.1 grade or better against the run in each of the last three years. They also credited him with 105 run stops in 793 run defense snaps in that stretch.
There may be a better player at a different position at the No. 11 pick for the 49ers, and they may go that direction. If they're set on taking a defensive end on Day 1, or if they trade back, Ezeiruaku is a player they can take with confidence that he'll eventually make a three-down impact as a bookend for defensive end Nick Bosa on a revamped San Francisco defensive line.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Our favorite prospect for the San Francisco 49ers
