The well-warranted hype around the Iowa Hawkeyes linebackers seems to be continuing to rise and garner more national attention prior to the 2022 college football season. After a myriad of accolades for Jack Campbell, the leader of the Hawkeyes’ defense, his comrade in the heart of the defense, Jestin Jacobs, is on the receiving end of the kudos this time.
Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network has named Jacobs as part of his 2023 NFL draft breakout candidates among linebackers across the country. Cummings reiterates the unique and translatable skillset that Jacobs brings with him.
Jacobs could be a perfect fit and a highly-coveted player in a modern NFL that’s trending more toward versatility on defense. He’s listed at 6’4″, 236 pounds, with an outrageously long and burly frame. Jacobs is a long-strider in space, but he also has enough short-area athleticism to shade outside as an overhang slot defender. Plus, he can blanket receivers and tight ends alike with his size. With another year of seasoning, he could take the next step. – Cummings, Pro Football Network.
With another strong season in 2022, Jacobs could find himself skyrocketing up draft boards to join Campbell in the earlier rounds of the draft as he isn’t a one-dimensional linebacker. Jacobs is a true three-down linebacker that is multifaceted and able to be a Swiss Army Knife for defensive coordinators.
As Jacobs gears up for the 2022 campaign, he will be a leader among the entire Hawkeyes team. Iowa will rely on him to duplicate his performance thus far and one could expect him to surpass that.
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