STRENGTHS
JL is the new hybrid Safety/Linebacker that teams are looking for in this new passing league. He is a punishing tackler and because of his excellent speed and high football IQ, he can play multiple positions from one down to the next, for your defense. JL is big, with a large wing span and length that allows him to cover on passing downs and in the red zone. He has the athletic talent and fluidity to even be used on the outside as a corner in certain situations and against certain players and that can be established when game planning for an opponent. JL will make the tackle in the open field which is so very important for a safety to make. He is smart and understands zone coverages and will make a quarterback pay, intercepting the ball if a quarterback makes a mistake. He covers a lot of ground very fast and with his long arms and this makes him the type of player who can make an impact play for your defense.
CONCERNS
The biggest concern for JL will be how teams value his position and if they think he is a “tweener”. For me, the biggest concern is his punishing tackles and if he can stay on the field to impact more than his potential to wind up on a team’s weekly Injury Report. Of course, the fear of injury is no reason not to select him early in this draft…just a concern.
BOTTOM LINE: 1.50
Teams that use a 4/2/5 defense as their main defense I suspect will value JL higher than teams that just think of him as a safety. For me, those teams that value JL as just a safety, are most likely, the teams that pick in the top ten every year. JL is a multi-position, multi-talented football player. I don’t care what defense you play this guy should be part of it and coaches should change their defenses to accommodate his talent and get him on the field for every down. He has the talent to build your defensive backfield around so, thinking he’s just a 2 deep safety and not selecting him early would be a big mistake…Hugh!
