2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: James Ester, DL, Northern Illinois

Player Data

Name, Jersey #	James Ester / #1
School (Code)	ILNO
DOB, Class Yr	8/30/2001, 5th Yr. Jr
Height, Weight	6030e / 300e lbs.
40 Yd Dash	N/A
Position/Depth	DT #1
Honors/Captainship	Team Captain (2021, 2022) / Voted 3rd team All MAC (2021, 2022)
Season Viewed (yr)	2022
Games Watched	MICE, OHTO, @OKTU
Scout Name / Date	Matthew Swanson, 08/07/2023

Per Year Stats (Most Recent First)

2023	TBD
2022	12 GP, 12 GS, 27 TKLS (9 SOLO/18 ASST), 2 SCK, 1 FF, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 TD
2021	14 GP, 14 GS, 25 TKLS (7 SOLO/18 ASST), 2 SCK, 1 PD
2020	6 GP, 4 GS, 16 TKLS (8 SOLO/8 ASST), 1 SCK, 2 PD
2019	4 GP, 0 GS, 2 TKLS (2 SOLO/0 ASST), 0 SCK

Player Summary:

5th Yr. Jr and 2x team captain is a 4-2-5 DT in ILNO’s scheme. He shifts anywhere from a 0T through 4i and projects as a 4-3 DT at the next level. Good lean and muscular body composition. Has good height, below-average weight, and stocky, well-defined, thick upper and lower extremities that are marginal in length. AA ability is solid and consists of good initial quickness, sufficient body control, balance, game speed and lateral agility. Pre-snap alignment is marginal, hands and head are significantly behind LOS. Initial get off is sufficient. Comes off LOS with good initial quickness, average pad height, and solid aggressive demeanor. 

Against the run, he is decent. Shows good aggression and willingness to occupy blocks when taking double teams from average size and strength OGs and OTs as 2T, 3T, or 4i. Initial blow delivered to average sized OGs as a 3T is sufficient, demonstrating solid strength and explosiveness to stun IOL at LOS. Ability to sink and anchor to hold ground at POA .vs. double teams of average size and strength OGs and OTs is ordinary, impeded by below-average weight and shoulder squareness following solid initial contact. Shedding blocks, shows decent ability to shed IOL head to head as a 2T or 3T with sufficient UOH quickness and urgency. Thrives splitting gaps with good club and swim, tears through, utilizing quickness and swim to get skinny. As a speed rusher he is solid. Has good quickness to beat average sized, ordinarily athletic athletic OGs to gap. Utilizes the same quality club swim to win against the pass as well. Ability to finish at the apex of rush lane is average due to ordinary body control. Ordinary bull rusher, gives significant effort. Marginal arm length impedes ability to shed average arm length OL with solid latch. Shows good pass game FBI getting hands up and deflecting balls when rush doesn’t get home. Needs to improve eye discipline and marginal angles of pursuit on stretch runs as he often goes under average stretch blocks from OGs and takes the path of least resistance. Can improve bull rush by improving diversification of hand usage.

Scheme Fit:

DT in a 4-3 scheme.

Power Statement:

Marginally sized DT who is solid as a pass rusher and decent as a run stopper due to his good initial quickness, sufficient use of hands, and good club swim utilization to knife through gaps. Needs to work on marginal angles of pursuit to get over the top of stretch runs and ability to recognize and fight flow.