Today I’ll be analyzing Jaquan Brisker, former Penn State safety who sizes up at 6’1″ 200 lbs. Brisker began his collegiate career at junior college Lackawanna College before transferring to Penn State, where he was selected as First-Team All-Big Ten in 2021. Brisker profiles as an underrated player likely to come off the board within the first fifty picks in the 2022 NFL Draft! Let’s dive into his tape.
Strengths: Brisker is really willing against the run, and has a really good downhill trigger from a deeper position. He shows excellent read-and-react ability, with great football intelligence to make proper reads and good athleticism to react. Brisker’s solid speed allows him to make plays from sideline to sideline, and his closing burst is good. His play diagnosis is top-level, such as when he instantly sniffs out a screen pass and blows up the play behind the line of scrimmage. He is highly aware as well and does well to locate the running back in the hole. Using his strength, quality handwork, and effort, Brisker disengages from blocks well in the running game. Additionally, Brisker is a real enforcer, laying hard hits regularly. Brisker is highly experienced and skilled in zone coverage, showing a good understanding of what assignment to pick up. He shows good instincts in zone too, breaking well on throws to make a play on the ball. Brisker is capable in man coverage, and certainly has the fluidity and quickness to flip his hips in transition without giving up ground. He also disrupts the receiver well with his physicality. Overall, Brisker is a really high-effort player, as he is always flying around the field and getting himself around the ball to make plays. He is also highly intelligent, as evidenced by his play diagnosis, awareness, instincts, and also by the fact that he often makes calls to the defense prior to the snap. Brisker is versatile as well, capable of lining up in the box or deep.
Weaknesses: Brisker is much more experienced in zone coverage than man coverage, in which he appears less comfortable. He needs to learn to be less grabby in man coverage. He also often gives too much of a cushion in off coverage, allowing short completions too easily. Though his burst makes him useful as a free blitzer, Brisker gets neutralized when rushing the passer if a blocker gets in front of him. He would need to improve his pass rush technique to be truly dangerous in this phase of the game. Brisker occasionally takes poor angles to the football. His tackles can also be broken by bigger ball carriers. Brisker will be 23 entering his rookie season in the NFL, which is not seen as ideal.
Bottom Line: Brisker is a really solid all-around safety who I believe will have a really good NFL career. He excels against the run with his football IQ, burst, and effort. Brisker would be a better fit on a defense that plays a lot of zone coverage, given his experience and awareness in zone coverage. His man coverage has a few flaws currently but he has the requisite athletic traits to become highly capable in this area too. Brisker is likely to be under-drafted because he isn’t the flashiest player and because he will already be 23 years old entering his rookie season, but he will be a solid starter as a rookie in my opinion and is deserving of a selection in the top forty picks.
Grade: 2.2 (indicative of an early second-round grade)
Sources
- Cover Image: https://sports.yahoo.com/pro-football-network-projects-jaquan-221442253.html
