The NFL draft is often a good indicator of what positions and types of players are in demand. For years running backs and safeties, in particular, have been getting pushed down the board in favor of “premium positions” like quarterback, tackle, and receiver.
There are outliers, like the Atlanta Falcons picking Bijan Robinson 8th overall and the Detroit Lions picking Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall last year. On the flip side, there hasn’t been a safety drafted in the top-20 picks since Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2018. Now, linebacker seems to be the next position to start trending lower in terms of draft value.
So many of the best linebackers in the NFL are players selected outside the first round, and teams recognize that the position isn’t valuable enough to use a high pick unless they are a true freak of nature. Teams now look to draft athletes who they can mold into starting-caliber players, and Penn State has just what they are looking for in linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag].
Jacobs is the latest in a long line of athletic, productive linebackers that Penn State has had on campus over the years. He showed off his skills at the NFL combine, putting up impressive numbers.
Curtis Jacobs is a LB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.17 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 221 out of 2649 LB from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/xdAP34zBDj pic.twitter.com/4vxdpiAN1S
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 1, 2024
His RAS fell a bit after some lower agility numbers, but he is still an above-average athlete with plenty of experience. His flaws in run defense and coverage have kept his stock relatively low, but they are issues that good coaching and time can fix. Despite a strong draft process, his stock has fallen in recent weeks according to NFL Mock Draft Database.
Even if it isn’t initially the best thing for him, Jacobs’s lower projection could benefit him in the long run. A team can select him without feeling any pressure to play him early, allowing him time to develop as the third or fourth linebacker while contributing on special teams. After a year or two, he could find himself playing significant snaps. He is well worth an early day-3 pick.