JaCoby Stevens NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Philadelphia Eagles S

HEIGHT: 6'1 1/8"

WEIGHT: 212 lbs

POSITIVES

—Hybrid safety with very good size.

—Does well tracking and chasing the ball.

—Strong tackler with good physicality.

—Has good lateral movement but better straight-line speed.

—Has the strength and speed to overcome most college backs when blitzing.

NEGATIVES

—Can get stuck in the mud when changing directions.

—Faster ball-carriers have pulled away from him in the open field.

—When playing the run from the defensive secondary, he tends to sit and wait for the ball.

—Has a choppy backpedal when he is in deep coverage.

—He has shown some hip tightness when opening, causing him to lose a step.

2020 STATISTICS

10 Games: 63 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 PBU, 3 FR, 1 FF

NOTES

—Played his freshman year as a receiver before switching to defense.

OVERALL

Stevens is a big-bodied safety who plays at all three levels of the LSU defense. Being a hybrid player, Stevens works best when closer to the line of scrimmage. He has shown the ability to blitz, especially when in stunts with the line and when placed on a smaller back. When playing in the box, Stevens is able to show his ability to fill running lanes and stretch ball-carriers wide for the tackle.

There have been a few times where pure speed has gotten the best of him; both laterally and in the open field. Playing as a deep safety is where Stevens struggles the most. He starts with a below-average backpedal that doesn't gain much ground and quickly turns into a shuffle. Though he has flashed the ability to chase the ball in the air, he lacks the fluidity to cover better athletes back there. Stevens’ skills do have a use, and he could find a way to contribute on sub-packages for a team.

GRADE: 7.2/10 (4 Round)

OVERALL RANK: 146/300

POSITION RANK: S9

PRO COMPARISON: William Moore

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings