2018 NFL Draft: What happened to the Malik Jefferson hype train?
By Phil Poling
Linebacker Malik Jefferson was touted as a top prospect the moment he stepped foot on campus. Why has his hype train slowed leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft?
More: 2018 NFL Draft preview, player profiles and latest mock drafts
At the University of Texas, Malik Jefferson was always the center of attention. Even through coaching turnover and constant questions of who’s playing quarterback, Jefferson consistently showed up and played well.
The expectations couldn’t have been any higher for the 2014 Butkus Award winner, given to the top high school linebacker. 247sports rated Jefferson the No. 1 overall outside linebacker and the No. 1 overall player from his home state of Texas in the class of 2014.
He tallied 231 total tackles during his three-year career in Austin, including 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. His versatility both helped and hurt him while playing for the Longhorns, though.
Strengths
When you’re 6-foot-3 with long arms and great athleticism, coaches are going to ask things of you they wouldn’t typically ask of anybody else. This means sacrificing what you do best in order to help the team.
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Jefferson excelled when screaming off the edge and filling gaps in the run game. His ability to slow-read plays (counters, draws, play-action passes) isn’t where it needs to be, but he’s very instinctual and his ability to get downhill in a hurry will be a huge plus at the next level. He’s also no stranger to covering slot wide receivers and running backs in the open field.
Jefferson’s speed isn’t lacking, either. He routinely chased down ball carriers when they’d gash through the Longhorns’ defense, and his 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.52 seconds) was the fifth-fastest among linebackers; his 27 bench press reps were tied for second-most among linebackers.
Weaknesses
Jefferson’s versatility hurt him in the sense that he doesn’t have a true position. Is he a middle linebacker, or do his traits suit him better on the outside? Can he play in both a 3-4 and 4-3? Could he put his hand on the ground and rush the passer?
His speed and athleticism would be best utilized as a weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 or the weak inside linebacker in a 3-4. He’d absorb too many blocks as the lone middle linebacker in the former and the same would probably be true if he played the strong side in the latter.
Draft Expectations
The worst thing that could happen to the 31 teams that don’t draft Jefferson is his new team finding out where he fits best. He played under two head coaches in three season at Texas and still produced at a high level. Good management with a concrete defensive system already in place could work wonders for Jefferson in the NFL.
Next: Latest first round NFL Mock Draft post Combine
Malik Jefferson won’t be the first linebacker off the board – he might not even be the second or third – but whenever his name is called, that team is getting a player with loads of potential and skills that will immediately translate.