STRENGTHS
Jacob has the pass-catching skills equal to any receiver in this draft. He is a fluid athlete with a high football IQ working well with his QB and understanding how to get himself open when the play has broken down. He uses excellent blocking techniques, keeping his feet moving after engaging and finishing his blocks. Jacob has the lateral agility to block in space and, when catching the ball, that lateral agility helps in running his routes and not taking the big hit after gaining yards after the catch. Jacob has strong hands and can adjust to the ball in the air and that adds a big catch radius to his pass-catching skills. He is a nightmare matchup at any point on the field and, a move the chains, touchdown making machine. Jacob is more than just a pass-catching Tight End. His athletic talents and high football IQ send signals that he will become an offensive weapon that teams will have to game plan for in the very near future.
CONCERNS
Jacob is coming off an injury year so the combine medicals will be big for him but if he comes out of the combine with passing marks and can work out, he will fly up everyone’s team’s boards like a turkey vulture looking for its first Carrion of the day. Jacob could use more bulk to better deal with his inline blocking assignments at the next level but the truth is he uses excellent techniques to minimize this weakness. Jacob will do what is asked of him and to the best of his ability and that’s all you can ask from any player at any position.
BOTTOM LINE 1.73
Jacob reminds me a lot of Eagles Zack Ertz. He might be a little taller but Jacob’s pass-catching, route running, fluid athletic talent to run routes are very much the same as Zack’s. Like Zack, Jacob is a good blocker but not necessarily a great inline blocker because of their lack of bulk but, if in rehab he can add more bulk to his frame without it affecting his fluidness, than this kid will be the real deal. Jacob like Zack will be more of a threat in the passing game as a matchup nightmare and a player his new quarterback will fall in love with. He is consistent when running routes but what his new coaches are going to love is how quickly Jacob will mesh with his quarterbacks thinking in the context of reading defenses on the fly and adjusting his route to get open and gain extra yards. Truthfully when it gets all said and done that is the key to playing the Tight End position in the passing game.
