Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie selected 38th overall in NFL Draft
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Arnold Ebiketie has been selected 38th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
He is the second Nittany Lion off the board.
Ebiketie’s singular season playing before the fans at Beaver Stadium proved to be a memorable one.
Arriving from Temple ahead of the 2021 season, Ebiketie took his place as one of the Big Ten’s most fearsome pass rushers.
In joining Jaquan Brisker in the All-Big Ten’s first team defense, Ebiketie accumulated 9.5 sacks.
That number was good enough for third in the Big Ten. On a defense that was among the 10 best nationally when it comes to points allowed per game, Ebiketie’s pass-rushing ability became vital.
No other Penn State player posted more than three sacks — the landmark reached by linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive end Smith Vilbert.
Pro Football Focus gave Ebiketie a pass rushing grade of 90.5 in 2021 — the fifth-best mark among power conference edge rushers who played 50 percent or more of their team’s pass rush snaps.
Thanks to an arsenal of moves he described while at the combine, there were very few pass rushers in the country more effective than Ebiketie.
“My go-to is definitely a speed,” Ebiketie said at the NFL Combine. “Von Miller is one of the greatest to ever do it when it comes to speed and banding through the corner. Some of the things that I actually try to add to my game these days is the spin, and actually I got it from [Miller] as well. Some of the things that he does pretty well. Different guys that I watch are TJ Watt and Nick Bosa. Just trying to take a little bit of everything from those guys and incorporate that into my game.”
More on Penn State DE Arnold Ebiketie’s path to the draft
Ebiketie was hardly a specialist.
The 6-foot-3, 256-pound Ebiketie also posted 18 tackles for loss to lead the team — making a considerable impact against the run as well.
That total ranked second in the Big Ten and ninth in the nation.
Ebiketie arrived at Penn State as a relative unknown.
He posted decent enough production during three seasons at Temple. In 2020, he concluded a six-game season with four sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
Still, that wasn’t enough to break through into the national college football discourse. His time at Penn State helped him do that.
For those who have worked with him, like defensive line specialist Eddy McGilvra, it’s hardly a surprise that Ebiketie has reached this level.
“He’s so raw and athletic, and he really hasn’t been taught anything as far as pass rushing goes — edge play,” McGilvra said last May. “So when I got my hands on him, I was like, ‘Wow, this is actually a potential top-100 pick, one of the top edge guys in my opinion that I’ve been with in that class.'”
