Justin Jefferson

● Flies to the football and covers a large area in a short time ● Closes on ball carriers with burst, exploding through targets ● Sharp pursuit angles to sideline, shutting down perimeter lanes ● Packed on muscle to frame and has adequate length ● Mirrors eyes of the QB in drop zones ● Violent hands at catch point to turn catches into incompletions ● Explosive blitzer and spy, with untapped potential in both areas ● Competitive kid who puts in time and effort off the field ● Boasts skill set to be core-four special teamer

● Undersized body type by NFL standards ● Sucked up and spit out by offensive linemen ● More likely to try to run around blockers than to use his hands to work off them ● False stepper and reacts to first movement ● Runs pursuit into contact and needs to use better tempo ● Can do a better job feeling route relationships behind him ● Quarterbacks will look for — and attack — his area in coverage ● Struggles to nail down playbook kept him off the field in 2023 ● Only one full season as a starter

A one-year starter at Alabama, Jefferson played the Mike linebacker role in defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s multiple scheme. The junior college transfer had a tough first year as he adapted to SEC standards under Nick Saban, but his comfort level started to grow the past two seasons. He stepped in for an injured Deontae Lawson in 2024 as the “Stinger” linebacker before taking over Jihaad Campbell’s spot in 2025. Jefferson is an undersized yet compact, rocked-up athlete, with the pursuit speed to impact the game in numerous ways. His skills diagnosing plays appeared to improve as he got deeper into the 2025 season, although it won’t be as easy at the next level to make up for all his wasted steps. He is a twitchy tackler but needs to use that same physicality when attacking blocks. Overall, Jefferson is still working through the mental part of the position, but he makes plays based on his urgent athleticism and movement ability in space. His special teams value and upside on defense are enough to earn a roster spot.