Daniel
Ekuale
DT · PIT · Very poor
- PAL
- 4
- WAR
- -0.1
- SACKS
- 1.0
2024№ 62 / 70
Daniel Ekuale
#96DT
Pittsburgh Steelers
Biography
- Team
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Height
- 6' 3"
- Weight
- 300 lbs
- Born
- January 13, 1994 (32)
- Birthplace
- Pago Pago, American Samoa
- College
- Washington State
- Experience
- 7th Season
- Status
- Free Agent
Career history
- Pittsburgh Steelers · 2025 (1 season)
- New England Patriots · 2021 – 2024 (4 seasons)
- Jacksonville Jaguars · 2020 (1 season)
- Cleveland Browns · 2019 (1 season)
NFL record
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | AST | SACK | FF | FR | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | New England Patriots | 16 | 52 | 24 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | New England Patriots | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | New England Patriots | 15 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | New England Patriots | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 9 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Cleveland Browns | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Daniel Ekuale: our analysis
2024 season: 16 GP, 47 TKL, 1.0 SACKS, 2 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD. WAR -0.1 (62nd of 70) · PAL 4, very poor.
In 2024, Daniel Ekuale, 32, posts a PAL Rating of 4 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of -0.1 ranks 62nd among 70 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: tackling (65, above average). On the other hand, pass rush (6, among the weakest in the league) and splash plays (15, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (in wins), his biggest contribution: positional (+0.1); his biggest cost: team defense (-0.1).
A slight dip from 2022, when his PAL was 10; his WAR went from 0.1 to -0.1.
Advanced stats, 2024 Interior defensive line
NFL stats →2024 season. The percentile ranks the player among regular interior defensive line: 90th means better than 90% of them.
Tackles
47
81th percentile
Sacks
1.0
20th percentile
Pressures
4
11th percentile
QB hits
3
16th percentile
Tackles for loss
2
13th percentile
Forced fumbles
0
29th percentile
Passes defended
0
16th percentile
Missed tackle rate
5.5 %
64th percentile
Defensive snaps
722
82th percentile
Games
16
Regular season. Data: nflverse (play-by-play, snap counts), Next Gen Stats, Pro Football Reference. EPA: expected points added. CPOE: completion percentage over expected.
2025 projection
NFL trends →Projected WAR
0.0
80% of cases: 0.0 to 0.1
Games
11
WAR 2024
-0.1
Games played
16
The pace of the last three seasons (WAR per game, 60/25/15), pulled toward the group average, over the games expected from his availability in the last two, adjusted for age.
Trend
→ Stable (-1)
- 20220.1 WAR · 0.007 per game
- 2024-0.1 WAR · -0.006 per game
The trend compares this season's WAR per game with last season's, weighted by games played.
Outlook, age included
-16 · 30 y.o. · the age when performance usually declines
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes.
Player ratings, 2024
All ratings →Ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established regular, 95+ = elite.
OV · Overall
42
Backup or prospect
- PRS
- Pass rush
- 60
- RDF
- Run defense
- 63
- TCK
- Tackling
- 73
- DUR
- Durability
- 48
- EX
- Experience
- 70
Why these ratings?Hide details
- PRS — Pass rush : Pressures, sacks and QB hits, per snap
- RDF — Run defense : Run tackles and tackles for loss, per snap
- TCK — Tackling : Tackles made and missed tackles
- DUR — Durability : Games played out of his team's, over several seasons
- EX — Experience : Seasons in the NFL
WAR and PAL Rating, 2024
How we rate →WAR: the EPA (expected points added) of every play, above replacement level, shared among those who made it, then converted to wins (35.3 points = one win). PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same group (50 = median).
WAR
-0.1
#62 of 70 regular interior defensive line
PAL Rating
4 / 100
#68 of 70 regular interior defensive line
PAL: dimensions
Where WAR comes from (in wins)
Half the EPA of his sacks, interceptions, passes defended, forced fumbles, tackles for loss and QB hits, against his position's average per snap.
Yards allowed per target against his position's average, 0.12 points per yard (measured).
Replacement level: the share of defense the league spends on his position (by payroll), prorated by snaps.
How much better or worse than average his team's defense was (EPA allowed), minus what is already credited to players, prorated by snaps.
The individual part is splash plays and coverage. The rest is the position share and his team's defense, split by snaps played.
| Season | Team | G | WAR | PAL | OV | Tkl | Sacks | Prss | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | NE | 16 | -0.1 | 4 | 42 | 47 | 1.0 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | NE | 15 | 0.1 | 10 | 57 | 12 | 2.0 | 8 | 2 |
Daniel Ekuale: frequently asked questions
What are Daniel Ekuale's stats in 2024?
Daniel Ekuale has 1 sack and 3 QB hits in 16 games in 2024.
How old is Daniel Ekuale?
Daniel Ekuale is 32 years old: he was born on January 13, 1994.
How tall is Daniel Ekuale, and how much does he weigh?
Daniel Ekuale is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 300 lb (136 kg).
Where is Daniel Ekuale from?
American Samoa: Daniel Ekuale was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
What team does Daniel Ekuale play for?
Daniel Ekuale plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL, at DT, wearing number 96.
How good is Daniel Ekuale?
Daniel Ekuale produced -0.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2024, 67th of 70 players at his position in the NFL. His PAL rating is 4 out of 100: very poor for his position.
Is Daniel Ekuale a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 67th of 70 players at his position in the NFL in 2024. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Daniel Ekuale getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 10 in 2022 to 4 in 2024 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
What is Daniel Ekuale's projection for 2025?
Our projection has him at 0.0 WAR in 2025, based on his weighted recent seasons and age.
