2015 NFL Draft: Liberty Safety Jacob Hagen Scouting Report and Projection

It’s not uncommon for draft analysts to overlook FCS players, but in a draft that lacks a wealth of talent at the safety position players like Liberty’s Jacob Hagen warrant a closer look.

Hagen is an absolute ball hawk who finished the 2014 season with 108 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and eight interceptions. He possesses a unique combination of speed and physicality that accompanies his intense passion for the game.

Let’s take a closer look at Hagen’s skill set:

Strengths

On film, Hagen is a dynamic free safety with exceptional range. He relies on sharp instincts that consistently put in position to make a play. Those instincts have helped him become an adept run defender who delivers big hits on runners as well as receivers running intermediate routes.

In pass defense Hagen possesses rare ball awareness, as well as, an incredible ability to catch the ball. Of all the safeties that I’ve studied in 2015, Hagen is easily amongst the most intelligent, he understands his opponents and is excellent at positioning himself in a manner that allows him to make plays on the ball.

Overall, Hagen is a skilled all-around safety who is capable in both man- and zone-coverage. He has great range and constantly around the ball. One last thing to point out is his effectiveness on special teams—this attribute is important for the team’s superstar; I love to see a player willing to contribute in every facet of the game for the betterment of the team.

Weaknesses

To be clear, Hagen isn’t without his flaws. First and foremost, there always remains the fact that Hagen played against a different quality of opponents than as his peers.

On the field, there were moments when Hagen was caught in over pursuit taking him completely out of the play. Moreover, while Hagen possesses 4.5 40-yard dash speed, he still has the propensity to be beaten on deep routes by quicker receivers. There are also times where it seems like Hagen gets tunnel-vision, that being that he focuses on one specific opponent in zone schemes only to end up blowing his assignment. The bottom line is that Hagen likes to gamble, more often than not it pays of for him, but when it doesn’t it’s ugly.

Team Fits

Buffalo Bills

Philadelphia Eagles

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Draft Projection: 5th round

Some will see this as being a little optimistic but the NFL seriously lacks high quality free safeties. Hagen offers a team a hard-working, good character player who can make an impact on both special teams and nickel-packages immediately.

The future is unclear for Hagen, as he’ll have to work extremely hard. However, he has the raw skill set and with the right coaching, he could be a viable starter in this league.

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