With the #5 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected DE Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah (BYU). Ansah is a walking definition of a raw prospect, but his freakish athletic ability makes him a truly exciting prospect for the future. Due to his lack of direct football experience (only 3 years under his belt), don’t be surprised if Ansah’s rookie numbers are underwhelming.
However, it’s his immense upside that makes him an asset in dynasty leagues. A good comparison could be Jason Pierre-Paul, who entered the league without much experience but with a world of physical talent. After a slow rookie season Pierre-Paul was able to turn that raw ability into production, which is very well what we could see from Ansah.
| Tackles | Fumbles | |||||||||
| Year | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| 2010* | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011* | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012* | 35 | 27 | 62 | 13 | 4.5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 39 | 33 | 72 | 13 | 4.5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
College statistics courtesy of Sports Reference.
Fantasy Impact
Ansah figures to have a slow start to his career as he still has much to learn, and probably won’t be very fantasy-relevant during his rookie year. He definitely won't play a significant role in winning you your fantasy league this year, in fact, don't even expect him to be a consistent starter for you. That said, Cliff Avril‘s departure certainly gives Ansah a legitimate opportunity at earning a starting role, but he has his work cut out for him. His rookie season will likely be such a learning curve that it will make him a very situational player, making him only start-worthy in IDP leagues when he has a very favorable matchup. Regardless, Ansah is expected to be a double digit sack player a year or two down the road, and should be one of the first defensive ends off the board in dynasty drafts.
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