Ethan Onianwa NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Atlanta Falcons IOL

The Atlanta Falcons selected Ohio State IOL Ethan Onianwa with the No. 231 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Ethan Onianwa is a thick, wide-bodied guard prospect with good arm length and a stiff punch to deliver jolt. However, his marginal foot quickness and recovery skills expose soft edges that will be challenging for him to overcome and significantly narrow his path to an NFL roster spot.

Onianwa is a 6'7", 331-pound guard prospect who committed to Rice as a 3-star recruit in the 2021 class before transferring to Ohio State for the 2025 season. He also lettered three years in baseball.

The former Buckeye started 34 games at Rice at right (25) and left tackle (nine). He arrived in Columbus around 365 pounds before cutting weight with the expectation of starting at left tackle, but he lost the job just days before the season.

Onianwa participated in the Senior Bowl.

Brandon Thorn is the author of the Trench Warfare newsletter, which focuses exclusively on offensive and defensive line evaluation. He also contributes as an analyst to Establish the Run, serves as the scouting coordinator for OL Masterminds and is a selection committee member for the Joe Moore Award. 

Highlights

Ethan Onianwa Highlights

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Scroll down for the complete scouting report.

Where He Wins

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— Well-rounded thickness throughout his frame with good mass and arm length.

— Flashes the ability to land early two-hand strikes and briefly control rushers when initial contact is clean.

— Occasional effectiveness in the run game on front- and back-side combination blocks when angles are clean and post-snap movement is minimal.

— Shows some recovery awareness, with a handful of early resets that allowed him to stay attached and press defenders off his edge.

Areas of Improvement

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— Persistent issues with foot quickness and redirection. Feet frequently stall or get stuck, leading to soft edges versus counters.

— Struggles to sustain control through the rep. Anchor tends to die slowly, forcing late grabs or holds to survive.

— Slow recognition and reaction versus games and movement, resulting in penetration once the picture changes.

Grade, Rank and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 5.3 (UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

COMPARABLE GRADE: LaDarius Henderson, Michigan (5.4 in 2024), Jovaughn Gwyn, South Carolina (5.3 in 2023), Nick Ford, Utah (5.5 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 237

POSITION RANK: IOL32

PRO COMPARISON: Justin Senior

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 6'7"
Weight: 331
Arm: 34 1/2"
Hand: 10"

40-Yard Dash: 5.21
10-Yard Split: NA
Vertical: 30"
Broad: 100"
Shuttle: 4.69
3-Cone: 7.90
Bench: 24