One of the New Orleans Saints’ first roster cuts on Tuesday was Josiah Ezirim, who they just drafted back in April. The former Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman was selected late in the seventh round at No. 239 overall. NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that Ezirim “is being waived with the expectation to return to the team’s practice squad.”
The 23-year-old needs more reps. Ezirim only lined up on offense for a few years in college (starting two seasons at right tackle) after being recruited to EKU as a defensive tackle. When he joined the Saints, they flipped him to the left side of the line. He’s a gifted athlete and should develop well with more time.
Still, it’s never great to see a draft pick let go before they’ve taken a single snap in the regular season. This is a good reminder that there’s little difference between late-round draft picks and undrafted players. In many cases those prospects are graded the same by scouts and they’re only drafted at all because a coach or someone in the personnel department stood up on a table for them. We’ll see if Ezirim clears waivers and stays in New Orleans.
