2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Temple Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett
Normally, you don’t hear about Temple as a college football powerhouse, but in 2010, they had a very solid season and will put out two high NFL draft picks. Muhammad Wilkerson is a well-known defensive line prospect who right now is being talked about as a mid-late first round pick, and safety Jaiquawn Jarrett is projected as a third-fifth round pick.
Jarrett is a hard-nosed safety with good instincts. He is a bit rough around the edges, but if he gets in with a good defensive backs coach, he could be a real asset at the next level.
NFL Team Visits/Private Workouts
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- New York Giants
- St. Louis Rams
- Denver Broncos
6’0″ 196 4.52
2010 Season Highlights (via school site)
Team captain for 10 games … started all 12 games at free safety … one of just seven Owls to start every game … played in EVERY game of his collegiate career … also played on the kickoff, punt, and opponent field goal units … team defensive leader with 74 tackles, two interceptions, and two break-ups … had seven tackles at Miami … had two solo tackles and a 29-yard interception return against Ohio … had a solo tackle and a break-up in the win at Kent State … made a solo stop in the shutout of Akron … had five tackles and an interception in the win at Buffalo … had nine tackles in the win over Bowling Green … led the Owls with a career-high 13 tackles at Northern Illinois en route to the coaches’ defensive player of the game honors … forced a fumble on the Huskies’ opening drive, setting up Matt Brown’s 25-yard TD run … had eight tackles, including a TFL, in the win at Army … led all defenders with a game-high 11 tackles at No. 23/20 Penn State en route to MAC Defensive POW, OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week, and the coaches’ player of the game honors … had seven tackles in the win over Connecticut … had three tackles and a 28-yard fumble recovery in the win over Central Michigan … led the defense with seven tackles, including five solos, in the win over Villanova in the season opener … named the coaches’ defensive player of the game … lettered.
Strengths
Zone Coverage Specialist
To me, Jarrett is at his best when he’s working in space. He’s a hard-hitting safety who is very read and react. He isn’t well-versed in man coverage, but he is a great center fielder who is very patient and has excellent recovery speed. He can sometimes get caught being too aggressive, but he has the athleticism to get back in coverage.
Hard Hitter
Doesn’t have a ton of size, but gives maximum effort in this area and is very experienced. When you look at the teams who are bringing him in for a private workout, they are all teams looking for head-hunters at the safety position, especially teams like Denver and the Jets. Jarrett has the ability to play in the box or work in space, and has very good instincts when it comes to the running game.
Intangibles
Been a team captain and is known by his coaches as a hard worker both on and off the field. Won the team’s J. Myron Honigman Award in 2009 for spirit, dedication, and loyalty.
NFL Starting Ready
Jarrett has so much experience in a Cover 2 defense that he is ready to step in and possibly start right away, so long as he can keep up with the game mentally. If he is thrust into a starting role right away, he will certainly have his ups and downs, but he is instinctual enough to be a starter early on in his career.
Weaknesses
Man Coverage
Not well versed in man coverage. Definitely capable of growing in this area with his speed, athleticism, and his ability to change direction.
As you can see from this video, Jarrett does a good job in space, though he stumbles a couple of times, and he makes an excellent form tackle, driving the Penn State fullback backwards and stopping him dead in his tracks. This is hard to gauge though. It’s clear in this video that the Owls do not have good defensive linemen (other than Wilkerson) or linebackers, though their unit was solid most of last season.
Highlight reels don’t often tell you the whole story, but from these clips, you can see that Jarrett is a hard hitter with some playmaking skills in space. Enjoy this reel.
Round Projection: Third-Fourth