2016 NFL Draft: LB Myles Jack – Scouting Report

LB Myles Jack- UCLA:

Pros:

• Incredible athlete who played both ways for a time at UCLA.
• Top notch speed and explosion, capable of running  with backs and tight ends in coverage and chasing down ball carriers in pursuit.
• Does a really nice job avoiding open field blocks and shedding blocks when he can’t avoid them.
• Does a nice job recognizing plays, and is very quick off the snap.
• Has some natural blitz ability and can contribute off the edge some or as a delayed blitzer from the interior.
• Versatile enough to be an OLB in a 4-3 or an ILB in a 3-4.
• Good speed/quickness for his size, can chase down quarterbacks/ball carriers
• Has the type of impact that has to be accounted for on every play by the opposing offense.
• Is already a very good player, but has the potential to be elite.

Cons:

• Not that tall, some bigger TEs might give him problems with jump balls.
• Coming off a torn meniscus so teams won’t have a full understanding of how he’s recovered by the draft.
• Still improving his pursuit angles, will need to rely on more than his speed at the next level

Overview:

Jack is one of the top players in this draft class and if he wasn’t coming off a knee injury there might be a strong case for him to be considered the consensus top player this year. Jack is incredibly athletically gifted and he has the ability to fly around the field. If he comes back from his knee injury fine then he should be a quality player even as a rookie.

In addition to the immediate value he brings, Jack has the potential to develop into an elite talent and one of the top off the ball linebackers in the league. Though not his strongest skill, Jack also has the ability to get after the quarterback. In some ways he’s like the reverse Clay Matthews Jr. Matthews is an elite edge rusher, but he’s so athletically gifted that the Packers play him inside on early downs. Jack is better suited in coverage and run defense, but teams would be wise to create a package of plays where he can get after the quarterback. Assuming that he checks out medically, Jack should easily go in the top 10 picks and is likely to go top 5.