6/13/2016 football Edit

GoldandBlack.com's Purdue player draft: No. 16 overall

Kyle Charters • BoilerUpload

Staff Writer

This summer, the Boilermakers are being divided.

Reporters Stacy Clardie and Kyle Charters are going head-to-head in GoldandBlack.com's Purdue player draft, a daily selection in which separate rosters of 25 are being assembled over the next two months. In late July, we'll decide — based on GoldandBlack.com staff and member feedback — which team would win.

Charters is up to start the fourth week, No. 16 overall, and chooses …

Danny Ezechukwu's play-making ability is needed on a building defense.

After we got through the run of offensive linemen last week, my attention turned back to the defense, where I had started my draft, picking up Jake Replogle and Ja'Whaun Bentley with my first two picks.

And it was my goal, starting at Pick 14, to get two of these three — Evan Panfil, Leroy Clark and Danny Ezechukwu — with my next two selections. Well, here we are. I got Panfil at 14, figuring that he's Purdue's second-best defensive lineman and capable of at least controlling the edge, especially against a makeshift offensive line. And if he gives some pass rush — I think he's more capable than what he's shown in the past — then that's a bonus.

Clark was off the board at 15; I was hoping maybe he'd slip to here, at 16, but Stacy thought otherwise. And a good pick for her, because she has a pretty good secondary developing, with Clark and top cornerback Da'Wan Hunte.

But Ezechukwu is a good consolation. The 6-foot-2, 251-pounder is a capable play-maker, grabbing an interception last season along with picking up a fumble and taking it for a touchdown. He had 79 tackles, although those statistics aren't always telling of the full story.

Ezechukwu was a bit inconsistent last season, struggling some with added responsibility, which mounted even more after he became about the only experienced linebacker who could stay healthy. But I think Ross Els' system can help; a lot of Ezechukwu's pre-snap reads will stay the same from play-to-play, keeping him from overthinking his assignments. And he might be able to play more free. He is going to play more in space and covering has been a weakness, so we'll see how that goes. But if Ezechukwu is freed up to make plays, then that's a good thing for the Boilermakers.

Stacy said she wasn't concerned about the prospect of losing Ezechukwu, probably because she's targeting Markus Bailey in her nickel defense. Does she need to take him now? Because I like him too, and wouldn't mind securing the best three linebackers, particularly considering the state of my secondary.

But Elijah Sindelar is still there too. One way or the other, he should be close to coming off the board.

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