It’s been a swift and steady fall from grace for the LSU football program since its national championship berth in 2019. After going 15-0 in 2019, the Tigers fell to 5-5 in 2020 and 6-6 in 2021. LSU still lays claim to plenty of potential NFL talent but has been rocked by controversy in recent years. Perhaps no player represents that precarious dichotomy more than LSU G and NFL Draft prospect Ed Ingram. Did Ingram revive his scouting report in 2021 after a tumultuous early career?
Ed Ingram NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Guard
- School: LSU
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
- Height: 6’3 1/8″
- Weight: 317 pounds
- Wingspan: 83 7/8″
- Length: 33 3/8″
- Hand: 10″
Ed Ingram Scouting Report
Off the field, there is quite a bit to discuss with Ingram. However, we’ll get to that later. On the field, he’s a steady player when he’s available. He’s been a starter on the LSU offensive line for the better part of five years, with some of his strongest play coming during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The LSU offense has struggled to find consistency recently, but Ingram was a lone bright spot down the stretch. The LSU G provided stability for the most important unit, and he earned All-SEC recognition in 2021, using the traits listed below. Ingram appears to be a viable NFL Draft prospect, but can he challenge for a spot in the early rounds?
Ingram’s athletic profile
Athleticism matters for every position. Generally, there’s a baseline threshold that players have to meet if they want to be considered for starting jobs in the future. Having said this, elite athleticism matters for some positions more than others.
Elite athletes are often preferable at positions like wide receiver and cornerback because of the positional demands. In those 1-on-1 battles in space, having superior quickness or burst can be a deciding factor.
On the interior line, where there’s less space to cover, less-than-elite athletes can get by. This isn’t to say that Ingram is a bad athlete; he’s solid, but he’s not elite. Even so, there are some appealing qualities within his profile. He’s a stout blocker with a strong lower body, and he also has good natural power and proportional length for his size.
Going further, Ingram’s natural density makes him hard to move off-platform. He flashes solid weight transfer and lateral movement ability, and he has some modest torso flexibility when anchoring opposing linemen. The LSU guard possesses inhibiting grip strength and absorbs power well. Furthermore, he has decent leg drive, both when run blocking and mirroring rushers in pass protection.
Execution beyond the athletic traits
Ingram has a serviceable physical foundation in his NFL Draft scouting report, but his execution beyond that foundation is what truly strengthens his profile. More than anything, Ingram’s mechanics stand out. He’s a fundamentally sound player with a well-developed operational process. He keeps his hands and feet active even when unoccupied, and he’s rarely idle.
In pass protection, Ingram constantly keeps his feet moving, and he generally has good punch placement. He keeps his hands tight and shoots into his opponent’s torso, as well as anchors with violence. His reaction quickness allows him to handle twists and stunts, and with his smooth footwork, he can easily maintain his balance.
Some athletic mismatches can present challenges for Ingram, but his hands are quick and forceful enough to facilitate recovery after initial losses on a rep. He also has good grip strength when anchored and can lock up opponents that way.
Ingram is slightly less consistent as a run blocker, but his natural power and leverage still allow him to produce. When he’s squared with his opponent, Ingram’s hard to get past. He also has his mauler moments; he exploits off-balance defenders and isn’t shy about imposing his will. The LSU G can throw defenders into the turf with his raw strength and has a finishing mentality on reps.
Areas for improvement
To this point, Ingram’s NFL Draft scouting report is fairly strong. From a diagnostic standpoint, he’s well on his way to becoming an NFL guard in some capacity. Having said this, there are some aspects of Ingram’s scouting report that might detract from his upside at the next level, most notably his athleticism.
Again, the LSU guard isn’t a bad athlete, but he’s not an elite one, either. He only has modest explosiveness off the snap — although he did get off the snap better in 2021 — and his feet can be heavy and somewhat plodding in open space. He doesn’t have elite range when pulling at the second level, either. But again, he appears above-average in this regard.
Additionally, Ingram lacks exceptional recovery athleticism and can struggle when facing displacement. If pass rushers get a step on him, it can be difficult for him to regain positioning and lock down gaps. He can be stiff at times in a phone booth, and more agile defenders could use that to his detriment.
Going further, Ingram can also refine some operational parts of his game. His awareness when pulling can be inconsistent, as defenders sometimes sneak into the backfield behind him. His blocking angles in motion can improve, and he can also work to avoid sacrificing balance by leaning too far with his initial punches. Ingram occasionally misses the mark with his initial punches and appears too overzealous, but he improved this in 2021.
Ingram’s NFL Draft scouting report overview
Time and time again, we see interior offensive linemen with high floors go on to carve out roles at the NFL level. The position’s value is slightly deflated compared to its counterpart at offensive tackle. Nevertheless, so long as guards have serviceable athleticism, strength, and solid fundamentals, they can be viable starting candidates on the professional stage.
At the very least, Ingram meets those requirements. He showed more explosiveness off the snap in 2021, but he may still fall short of the elite mark. More explosive defensive tackles can make first contact and get him off-balance. Furthermore, Ingram’s length — while proportionally strong — isn’t elite. Thus, he can’t always compensate and can be prone to rip moves as well.
Nevertheless, when the biggest knocks on a prospect are that he might not have elite traits, you’re likely dealing with a strong all-around player who can be a solid NFL starter. That’s what Ingram appears to be.
He’s a stout, well-leveraged blocker with a formidable base. Additionally, his active hands and violent style compounds his early utility. Ingram’s character could remain a question for teams, but simply earning a Senior Bowl invite was a good sign there. Thus, Ingram could ultimately follow in the steps of Solomon Kindley or Damien Lewis and earn early starting reps as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.
Ingram Player Profile
The LSU Tigers have always had a knack for recruiting high-level talent, and Ingram was a part of that talent crop in 2017. Hailing from DeSoto, Texas, Ingram was a four-star recruit and a top-100 player. Listed as the eighth-best offensive guard in the nation and the 17th-best prospect in his state, Ingram drew interest from a host of Power Five schools.
By the end of his recruiting cycle, the 327-pound Ingram had scholarship offers from Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, and Mississippi State. A three-hour drive down I-35 South would have landed him in Austin for the Longhorns. Instead, however, Ingram was won over by LSU on an unofficial visit to Baton Rouge. He committed in April 2016, setting up the next chapter of his football career.
Ingram’s career at LSU
The LSU G quickly settled into his new routine with the Tigers, and his collegiate career got off to a fast start. After just one game, Ingram became the team’s starter at right guard and started the final 12 games of the season as a true freshman. Ingram was on pace to start over 40 games in his career, but events off the field in 2018 halted his advancement.
We don’t know the whole story, but we can’t shy away from it either — these are things that NFL teams will scrutinize in their evaluations. In 2018, Ingram was arrested on allegations of aggravated sexual assault of a minor. LSU announced an indefinite suspension on August 3, 2018, citing a “violation of team rules.” Ingram missed the 2018 season due to this suspension, and his future was murky up until September of 2019 when the charges were suddenly dismissed.
With his charges dismissed, Ingram was reinstated, and he was able to join up with his team again in 2019. He played in 12 games with three starts, then returned as a redshirt junior in 2020 and started all 10 games at left guard.
Ingram had a chance to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Instead, the LSU guard returned for his redshirt-senior season, which was a beneficial move for his stock. He again served as a full-time starter, achieved second-team All-SEC recognition, and earned a Senior Bowl invite.
Ingram’s NFL Draft ascension
Ingram is a talented player with a profile conducive to early success in the NFL. However, he will have to answer inquiries regarding the circumstances surrounding his 2018 absence. As far as the legal process is concerned, Ingram is innocent. That said, given the LSU football program’s recent history with sexual misconduct, questions will persist. In Ingram’s case, there are character implications, and those will bear weight in an NFL team’s choice to invest in him.
Nevertheless, Ingram’s suspension is in the rearview mirror, and he did his part to return and continue to provide value for his team. He stayed in shape, jumped back into the action, and won back a starting role on the offensive line. Now, Ingram prepares to reach his ceiling for the 2022 NFL Draft. At his peak, he can be a solid NFL starter, with a violence to his game that could set the tone on game day.
Tony Pauline’s scouting report for Ed Ingram
Positives: Nice-sized blocker who is effective in motion. Starts with a wide base, sinks his butt, and blocks with tremendous leverage. Explosive at the point, stays square, and steers defenders from their angles of attack. Displays outstanding vision, picks up stunts and blitzes, and is very effective with his hands.
Smooth pulling across the line of scrimmage, quick out to the second level, and annihilates opponents blocking in motion. Strong run blocker who turns defenders from the play. Displays terrific vision, works well with linemates, and hits as many defenders as possible every snap.
Negatives: Lacks quick and fluid footwork sliding in space. Frame lacks bulk.
Analysis: Ingram comes off a terrific senior campaign, and he’s a fluid lineman with great versatility. He possesses the strength to play in a power-gap system and the movement skills necessary to line up in a zone-blocking scheme. Ingram comes with nice upside and should only improve as he gets bigger and stronger.