Fansided
Fansided

Quinton Jefferson, DT, Maryland: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

By Jeff Olson

Nov 21, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson (99) reacts after recovering Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Nate Sudfeld (7) (not pictured) fumble during the first quarter at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson (99) reacts after recovering Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Nate Sudfeld (7) (not pictured) fumble during the first quarter at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Quinton Jefferson is a classic three technique who is a penetrator by trade

Everyone knows by now that this is a very talented and very deep defensive line class, but how deep is it?  Where is the point in this draft that you aren’t able to draft impact defensive linemen?  The line may be drawn with Maryland defensive tackle, Quinton Jefferson.

More from NFL Mocks

Combine

40 yard dash – 4.95 seconds

Bench press – 24 reps

Vertical jump – 29 inches

3 cone drill – 7.95 seconds

20 yard shuttle – 4.37 seconds

Strengths

Jefferson is a classic three technique who is a penetrator by trade.  He uses a nice swim move along with good quickness to get into the backfield in a hurry and wrap up the ball carrier to make a sure tackle when he gets there.

While not an elite athlete, Jefferson is a good blend of size and short area speed to make it in the NFL.

Weaknesses

Quinton Jefferson isn’t particularly powerful and will find it difficult to got toe to toe with NFL lineman and try to out muscle them.  If a blocker gets their hands on him then he can be controlled fairly easily.  Not to mention how he can be driven back with minimal resistance against a double team.

Basically if Jefferson doesn’t win with his initial penetration, then he’ll be a non-factor in the play.

Jefferson has a few technical issues he needs to get worked out.  He plays too high at times and makes himself an easy target for a blocker with better leverage.  He also lacks ideal balance, so I question how many pass rush moves he can really develop.  This might be his peak and might not have any real significant upside.

Another thing to worry about with Jefferson is his injury history.  He missed time his freshman year due to a broken jaw, which he got in an off the field fight. He also suffered a torn ACL in 2014, forcing him to miss even more developmental time.

Even if he checks out medically, I question how durable this guy will be over the course of an NFL season.

Overview

Quinton Jefferson has talent to work with.  He can be a disruptive force in the backfield and is a sound tackler.  However, he’ll likely be a below average run stuffer and I don’t think has the kind of upside that makes you want to take a flyer on him late in the draft.

His ideal fit would likely be a rotational pass rusher and that probably won’t ever change. I’d project him as a sixth round pick, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he went undrafted.

Even if that’s the case, he’ll probably find work in the NFL with various teams who are in need of depth on the interior line.

Home/Scouting Reports