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.
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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.