2016 NFL Draft Profile: OLB Myles Jack

In this 2016 NFL Draft profile, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of outside linebacker Myles Jack out of UCLA.

Jack could be ushering in a new era of defensive play-making as a hybrid safety/linebacker. However, this is no revelation, as the trend has been heading this way for nearly a decade, especially for teams with a 4-3 defensive scheme. There should be no reservations for any team to draft this guy as he should be the top player on the boards in most draft rooms. Talent evaluators are nervous because his last season at UCLA was cut short after he suffered a knee injury. Recent developments show that Jack should be just fine by the time NFL training camp ramps up in the summer.

Jack has impressed many so far, especially with his potential to be a outside linebacker in the NFL. Before his injury, his speed and ability to excel in coverage defensive plays should have a very nice impact down the road as he transitions into the pros.

Feb 28, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Jack Myles watches from the sidelines as he chooses not to run the 40 yard dash during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

STRENGTHS

There are no stats that can do Jack justice. His measurements do not line up with those of your typical defensive specimens. At 6’1 and 245 pounds, he is not an imposing figure relative to NFL players. That should change once you watch any tape. Teams should base their evaluation simply on the eye test.

A hybrid player who has the ball skills of a safety, the hands and downhill acceleration of a running back and the physicality of a linebacker, Jack could have the ability to challenge tight ends between the numbers and patrol the secondary to help cornerbacks enforce the outside of the field.

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A defense having Jack patrolling its secondary could have a huge advantage.

Whether he is falling back in coverage as a linebacker or patrolling as a ball-hawk, Jack should become a force on any defense. Of course, Jack is entering the draft as an outside linebacker, but teams have expressed interest in having him play safety.

In college, Jack even took snaps as a running back and the tape shows evidence of his speed – which would be above-average for a safety or linebacker. Myles has announced that he will not be running a 40-yard dash before the draft, which is a smart move. He has nothing to prove.

WEAKNESSES

Jack is not a run stuffer. He is not a quarterback snuffer. In two full seasons at the linebacker position, he only recorded one sack and 15 tackles for a loss. That means the majority of his 178 career tackles occurred in the second level of the defense. He is someone who will stop a running back in his tracks, make an open field tackle or lay a hit on a receiver to jar a ball loose.

Myles has said that he is willing to play whatever position a team sees fit. In all likelihood the choices for a team will be inside linebacker, outside linebacker or safety. Playing safety would provide a team with the most benefits given his skill-set. Jack could crash the box or hover on the outside to provide a “hitman type” ability with another big-hitting safety.

A controversial topic surrounding Jack has been his withdrawal from UCLA after the knee injury cut his season short. According to a USA Today report written by Nate Davis, the decision was based on his desire to prepare for the NFL Draft:

"“I didn’t want my GPA to suffer,” said Jack, who was injured two days before he was to begin the fall quarter of his junior season at UCLA. “I definitely want to come back and get my degree, that’s for sure going to happen.”"

Jack’s already high draft stock may have been even higher had he stayed at school another year, but teams should draft him based on his ceiling, not where he is at now. Teams could essentially treat next year as another year of college for him. He should play, but let him develop into the leader he says he wants to be, and don’t put too much stock into his statistics his rookie year.

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DRAFT DAY PREDICTION

In a few years, Jack could be a defensive leader for a team in need of a young personality. He could usher in a new era of defensive toughness for a team in need of a spark. He’s easily a top-five pick in this year’s draft.

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