If there is one name that could be called out as the 18th pick in the draft and headed to the Seattle Seahawks that would bewilder Twitter the most, itâs Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Often projected as a late first round or day two pick, and thatâs only after a rapid rise in the past three months, Ezeiruakuâs name is not likely the one youâve heard the most or all that often in a stacked edge rusher class. Thatâs if you even want the Seahawks to draft an edge rusher first, which many fans donât.
Ezeiruakuâs âdraft stockâ since January:
In some ways, that would make Ezeiruaku less likely to end up as a top-20 pick. But in others, doesnât being an unlikely top-20 pick all that more likely to attract John Schneiderâs attention? The 2025 draft could be Bruce Irvin all over again.
And by the way, Donovan Ezeiruaku is a really good edge rusher.
The 2012-2025 comparisons
Itâs fitting that this week, Todd McShay compared the loaded 2025 edge class to the 2012 edition, noting that he hasnât seen this many top-100 prospects at the position in 13 years. That year, the Seahawks held the 12th pick and after trading down to 15th, selected Bruce Irvin over a handful of options that almost everyone else thought were better prospects.
In some cases they were right (Melvin Ingram, Chandler Jones, Whitney Mercilus) and others not so much (Quinton Coples, Shea McClellin, Nick Perry), but there was no debating how shocked the public was by seeing Irvin go 15th overall.
The general feeling at the time was that Irvin would be a second round pick, at best, but reports that came out later said that a chunk of the league was ready to pounce on Irvin in the first round if Seattle didnât beat them to the punch.
Regardless, most fans were pissed off that the Seahawks picked Irvin that early. Seattle famously got the worst grades of the 2012 draft despite leaving the event with Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson.
Could Ezeiruaku be the âBruce Irvinâ of the 2025 class in that you hear about him the least, but maybe the league likes him the most? Or at least, third-most? Iâm not saying that the Seahawks will draft Ezeiruaku, but keep reading to find out why he fits into a box of prospects who âthey definitely wonât draftââŠbut actually hell maybe they will.