JaCoby Stevens

[time2rock]

JaCoby Stevens

Posted: June 25th, 2021 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 172 Comments

The Eagles took JaCoby Stevens in the sixth round, with pick 224. Players taken that late aren’t guaranteed to even make the team, let alone become starters. Stevens isn’t your typical sixth rounder. He went to LSU. Good athlete. Productive player. Versatile. Smart. But for all the good things, he is tough to get a read on.

Let’s hop in the WayBack Machine and go to 1998. The Eagles took an undersized LB in the fifth round (pick 224). That was Ike Reese. He never became a full time starter with the Eagles, but he played 112 games for the franchise and helped them get to the Super Bowl in 2004. They went to four NFC Championship games with him, in part because Reese was such a good role player and key STer. He found a role and became great at it.

The Eagles would be lucky if Stevens turned into another Ike Reese.

There is the possibility that Stevens can be better. I had a tough time evaluating him. I had him rated as a Day 3 pick, but I never felt real comfortable with that. There were so many positive things to say about him. But I had a hard time figuring out what to do with Stevens.

He played safety in college. He was put at LB at the Senior Bowl and that’s what the Eagles drafted him to be. I think he can absolutely become a role player at LB. Some think he might be able to become a starter.

Drew Boylhart writes for The Huddle Report and has covered the draft for decades. He loved Stevens. I mean…he LOVED Stevens.

Jacoby is a leader on the field and something tells me he is a leader in the locker room also. Although Jacoby has excellent athletic talent and size, what makes him stand out in my mind is his leadership, character, and high football IQ to play more than one position on defense and act as a coach on the field. On film, it looks to me that Jacoby has the ability to be a franchise defensive player, the kind of player you build your defense around.

And

 As of this writing, JaCoby is listed as the 151st player, on Rob’s draft board, so it is obvious that I am not only out on a limb with this profile but I’m bending that limb just inches away from breaking it right now. I’m telling you JaCoby is a top ten pick in this draft while the rest of the Draft World is suggesting that he will be lucky if he is even selected.

Wow.

Drew has watched a lot of football and he knows his stuff. This isn’t some young guy making a bold claim to get attention. Drew legitimately feels this way. I’m not on that limb with him, but I’m fascinated at his take. He sees a player that could turn into something special. I see all the pieces of the puzzle, but can’t put them together. I don’t know what to expect from Stevens.

Here is Fran’s breakdown of Stevens.

https://twitter.com/Flyeaglesfly81/status/1403796032991940611

The Eagles have struggled with drafting and developing LBs. The new scheme and the new staff might help that problem. Stevens will give them a chance to show what they can do with a smart, talented, athletic player. He’s somewhat of a project because he played mainly safety in college, but the potential is there.

If you focus on his highlights, Stevens looks like a Top 10 player.

Did the Eagles just find themselves a hidden gem?

Can he be another Ike Reese?

Please don’t be the next Nate Gerry.

Please…

*****

The Jerk is at it again, making all kinds of lies about our beloved Eagles.

http://igglesblitz.com/2021/06/jacoby-stevens/

 

NOTE:  CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW VIDEOS EMBEDDED IN TOMMY'S ARTICLE IF YOU WISH TO SEE THEM

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

If he can show some versatility and can contribute on ST then that's his chance to make the roster and then try to have some kind of impact.

[eggs]

Well, it's the time of year when you can write anything and we have to read it. 

[jsb235]

Comparing Stevens to two former linebackers - he is 6'1", 212 pounds, with a 40 inch vertical and a 130 inch broad jump. His 40 time was a bit slow, but he is clearly athletic. KGH was 6'2", 208 pounds, with a 38 inch vertical and a 120" broad jump. Gerry was 6'2", 218 pounds with a 30 inch vertical and a 122 inch broad jump.

He has a big advantage over KGH and Gerry in that he played some LB in college, whereas those two were strictly safeties. And it certainly isn't outside of the realm of possibility that he wins a starting job. In our new scheme, the linebackers will have to cover a lot more ground, and Singleton isn't likely to be great in space.

I watched his tape from 2019 against Florida, and he was really good in coverage when he was matched up with Pitts. He had one really bad play on a screen pass when he lost outside contain and ended up getting pancaked by a lineman, but he also had a few really good plays that jumped off the film.

I guess the hope is that he is a better version of Gerry, who was terrible in coverage and missed a lot of tackles, but who also made his fair share of plays. If Stevens can be that, I think there is a place for him on the team. 

 

[weko]

He definitely makes the team and should get reps in the nickel or dime packages

[UK_EaglesFan89]

3 hours ago, weko said:

He definitely makes the team and should get reps in the nickel or dime packages

I think he's got a chance but he is a seventh round pick and this team has numbers at LB. Ok maybe it doesn't have a lot of quality but we don't know how good Stevens is. 

[PoconoDon]

Time will tell if this particular experiment works or not again. It hasn't with the last couple of guys.