Jimmy Rolder

● Intriguing athlete for his size, with evenly distributed mass ● Loose in his lower half, with the muscle twitch for easy movements ● Plays fast in pursuit, both downhill and when scraping laterally to contain runs ● Sorting skills got better and better, when watching his 2025 tape chronologically ● Sound tackler with a wide base — sees what he hits ● Strikes blocks with violent hands and balance to play off contact ● Flashes range as zone player ● Can turn his hips and run the seam with tight ends ● Glowing character feedback from Michigan staff (NFL scout: “No ‘selfish’ to him. .. (He’s a) coach-pleaser and does what is asked.”) ● Screams down the field with violence on special teams coverages

● Disproportionately shorter arms and can be engulfed by large-framed blockers ● At his best when he avoids high-trafficked areas ● Still developing pre-snap confidence and communication ● Responds too quickly at times, getting stuck in the wrong gap ● Plays frenzied at times when dropping in coverage, which leads to drifts and open passing lanes ● Hips are a tad sticky in space, limiting his ability to break on the ball (just three career passes defended) ● Battled numerous minor injuries that kept him from seeing consistent snaps as an underclassman ● Only 11 career starts; wasn’t full healthy (hamstring) during pre-draft process

A one-year starter at Michigan, Rolder played Will linebacker in former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme. A former high school baseball recruit, he had trouble climbing the depth chart because of minor injuries and only became a starter early in the 2025 season, once coaches moved Jaishawn Barham to more of an edge rusher role. Rolder took advantage of the promotion and led the Wolverines in tackles during his final season. Given his relative lack of on-field experience, Rolder was a pleasant surprise on tape, because of his awareness and movement skills. He plays with multi-gap range, legit sideline-to-sideline speed and athletic upside in coverage. He isn’t explosive as a thumper but drops his firm pads into the ball carrier and rarely misses tackles (4.7 percent missed tackle rate in 2025). Overall, Rolder needs to iron out his overaggressive tendencies, but he plays with ascending instincts and the reactive athleticism to make plays in the NFL. If healthy, he will be an immediate contributor on special teams and offer the potential to become a weakside starter.