From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ohio State OG Ethan Onianwa.
No. 78 ETHAN ONIANWA/GUARD, OHIO STATE (RS SENIOR) – 6062, 332 pounds
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Ethan Onianwa 6062/332 9 3/4 34 1/8 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
5.11 N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A 25
THE GOOD
– Great frame
– Has raw strength
– Has good anchor in pass protection when pad level is low
– Can drive defenders downfield when moving in straight line
– Great grip strength when hands are fit inside
THE BAD
– Below average athletic ability
– High pad level
– High pad level decreases anchor
– Slow change of direction
– Can overset and lose inside
– Struggles to attach in space
– Does not have explosiveness out of stance to reach block
– Bad contact balance
– Can get knocked back in short yardage situations
– Slow getting to second level
– Puts weight on toes, which decreases anchor and will lead to getting knocked back
– Wants to catch defenders with arms
– Bad hand placement
– Does not have violent punch
– Low hands can get swiped by handsy rushers
– Does not have much hand-fighting ability
STATS
– Appeared in 8 games across 1 season at Ohio State. Transferred from Rice, where he started 34 games across 4 seasons
– 2025: only played 96 snaps, allowing 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 0 pressures, and had 1 penalty
– 2024 at Rice: played 549 snaps, allowing 1 sack, 4 QB hits, 9 pressures, and had 1 penalty
– Run Blocking Grade – 64.0. Pass Blocking Grade – 72.3. Overall Grade – 69.1
INJURY HISTORY
– 2025: suffered an injury in camp that limited him for most of the season, but was able to go to the Senior Bowl and participate in Ohio State’s pro day
– 2024: missed a few games at Rice due to an undisclosed injury after starting 27 consecutive games
BACKGROUND
– Will turn 23 in August of 2026
– Participated in the 2026 Senior Bowl
– Named to 2024 AAC All-Academic Team
– Was named to Phil Steele Preseason Second Team All-AAC in 2023
– Received the George R. Brown Offense Award in 2023, which is given to the top offensive players on Rice’s football team
– Was put on the C-USA Commissioner Honor Roll in 2022
– Three-star recruit out of Cinco Ranch High School in Texas
– Ranked the No. 74 Interior Offensive Lineman in the country
– Also played defensive line in high school, recording 40 tackles, 8 sacks, and 1 forced fumble as a senior
– Named to the Houston Chronicle’s Top 100
– Lettered three years in baseball
– Was a part of the engineering club in high school and majored in bioengineering at Rice
– Onianwa’s parents are immigrants from Nigeria, and he credits them for working hard to provide a life for himself and his siblings; this makes him go 100% with whatever he is doing
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Ethan Onianwa has had a successful college career, going from Rice to Ohio State, but has been plagued by injuries that have limited him throughout 2025. The first thing you see when watching Onianwa is his massive frame, and he looks like a franchise left tackle when you see the long arms, height, and weight.
He played left tackle at Rice, but Ohio State made the right move by switching him to tackle. He will have to play guard in the NFL as well because of his limited athletic ability, which shows up a lot on tape. He does not fire out of his stance quickly enough to reach block or pull, so he will only be able to succeed moving downhill in duo-type runs or the front side of power. He has a very slow change of direction, so when he needs to block linebackers at the second level, they can avoid him with ease.
Here, his man makes the tackle by avoiding.
When he does get near the frame of second-level defenders, Onianwa does not fire his hands with violence and tries to ease his grip into their shoulder pads. I need to see him take advantage of his long arms in all areas of the field, especially when going against weaker defenders. Here, he allows the linebacker to get in position to make a tackle because he cannot get attached.
In short-yardage situations, Onianwa does not have the speed out of his stance to put himself in an advantageous position. His pad level is high as a run blocker in general, and I think he can get shocked when going against powerful defenders. Here is one of his limited snaps at Ohio State, and he gets knocked off the ball, resulting in a TFL.
While Onianwa’s power is decreased by his high pad level, he actually has really good strength when moving downhill. When his pad level is lower, you can see the raw strength he possesses; he just does not know how to use it right now.
When his hands are in the right position, he will yank defenders to the ground and take them out of the play.
As a pass protector, Onianwa will fare much better at guard with the help of other offensive linemen. His anchor will be solid if he lowers his pad level and attacks first, but it needs serious development. His lack of athleticism shows up in pass protection, and he will get beaten with speed pretty easily.
He often oversets and would lose inside while not having recovery ability, which is what happens on this play.
Onianwa also needs to improve his hand-fighting ability, which is simply not good enough. The lack of violence shows up in pass protection as well, and it is frustrating to see him not use his long arms to stab defenders.
CONCLUSION
Ethan Onianwa needs a lot of coaching to become an NFL backup, but he has the frame to do so. It is not easy to find someone who is built like this, so coaches will be excited to work with him. He wins with play strength but needs to focus on tapping into it and will need better technique to survive against NFL defenders.
NFL Projection: Late Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 6.1 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 5.2-6.5
Games Watched: vs Texas (2025), vs Ohio (2025), at Purdue (2025), at Memphis (2024), vs Navy (2024), at Army (2024)
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