Sheldon Day NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Jaguars Rookie

POSITIVES

Sheldon Day has a motor that never stops running, and it allows him to make plays his size and athleticism normally wouldn’t allow. A two-year captain, teammates and coaches alike respect him.

Watch Day run down screen plays on film and you fall in love with his effort and agility. Adding to his resume, Day was stronger at the point of attack in 2015 than he’d shown in previous seasons. With the burst and leverage to beat up interior blockers, Day can be a handful on passing downs.

Day’s calling card as a pass-rusher is his first-step quickness. He’s explosive off the ball and uses his hands well to break free from blockers once he gets their shoulders turned. He has impressive bend for a smaller pass-rusher and shows great body control and balance with his quick, pitter-patter steps.

Day might not have NFL measurables, but his never-quit motor and ability to create space with his quickness are too good to overlook.

NEGATIVES

A lack of size will hurt Day’s stock on draft day. He’s short, short-armed (32 ⅝”) and struggled to stay above 285 pounds during the season. He weighed in at 275 pounds in the spring before his senior year and may play closer to that weight. Adding to the concerns, Day has missed time with injuries throughout his career.

Notre Dame's defensive scheme was never best for what Day does. Ideally he’s rushing from a 3-technique position, but instead he was asked to play over the tackle. When asked to be an anchor on the edge or against the run in general, Day’s lack of size and length become a negative. He’s not able to squat against double-teams and can be controlled by stronger centers in the hole.

There isn’t an easy, clear projection to the NFL for Day. He’s a polished pass-rusher, but he lacks ideal size for that role. Playing in a 3-4 scheme, he has no value outside of a sub-package rusher. The draft-day decision for teams will hinge on motor and leadership versus size and old-school standards for height and length.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 285 lbs.

40 Time: 5.07s

3-Cone: 7.44s

Short Shuttle: 4.50s

PRO COMPARISON: Will Sutton, Chicago Bears
FINAL GRADE: 6.25/9.00 (Round 3—Future Starter)