Joshuah Bledsoe NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for New England Patriots Safety

HEIGHT: 5'11 3/8"

WEIGHT: 204

POSITIVES:

—Versatile player.

—Good burst and short-area quickness.

—Solid wrap tackler.

—Works well downhill to the ball carrier.

—Good zone defender. Good eyes and awareness.

NEGATIVES:

—Lacks top-end speed. Quicker than fast.

—Length and overall size

—Slower block destruction because of lack of size.

2020 STATISTICS:

41 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PBU, 1 FR, 1 FF

OVERALL:

Bledsoe is a versatile player who has lined up deep, in the box and out on the slot in the Missouri defense. A player with shorter-than-average arms and overall length, he can struggle with block destruction in the box. With that said, Bledsoe does perform very well in the run game, triggering quickly downhill to what he sees.

He has very good short-area quickness which allows him to perform well in underneath coverage but struggles in man-to-man coverage due to the lack of athleticism to chase faster receivers. Unfortunately Bledsoe doesn't have the same scheme versatility for NFL teams as he did at Missouri. He will have to find a role on special teams and as a backup.

GRADE: 6.3/10 (Fringe Backup Potential—Round 7)

OVERALL RANK: 276/300

POSITION RANK: S23

PRO COMPARISON: Matt Elam

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings