2014 NFL Draft: Jadeveon Clowney Scouting Report

Jadeveon Clowney

South Carolina, RDE/RLB/5T
Height: 6.6
Weight: 266
Age: 21

Strengths:

Peerless athlete that is impossible to ignore on film. Explosive first step off the line. Rarely is not the first man off the ball and chews up ground in a single stride. Instantly puts defenders on their heels when he gets the jump and often shoots gaps before opponents can react. Impossibly fluid and agile for a player of his size and length, changing directions easily and flashing the ability to drop into coverage and rush from a two-point stance. Surprisingly strong for as lean as he is, and is capable of pushing the pocket and holding up against multiple blockers. Closes with authority and strikes with violence, whether it be a quarterback, a ballcarrier, or a blocker. Jars footballs loose and knocks off helmets. Pursues hard downfield and on the backside and does not miss many tackles in space thanks to his length and fluidity. Is an excellent run defender and even better pass rusher. Shoots gaps and blows up plays in the backfield. Consistently puts pressure on the quarterback and strikes fear into hearts and heads of linemen. Drew holding calls and false starts due to intimidating presence and speeds up the quarterback’s internal clock. Drew two, three, and four blockers on any given play and flashed the ability to still make an impact his junior season. Powerful upper-body and hands to rip through blockers and get his hands up to swat down balls and tip passes to teammates. Can hurdle cut blocks and is nearly impossible to block when his effort and technique is there. Height alone causes trouble for QBs with lower releases, having a pass deflect off his helmet in the 2014 Capitol One Bowl. Can play almost any position along the front seven and gives defensive coordinators plenty of options as a versatile weapon. Dominated in 2013 on the toughest stage in amateur football, and is only 21 years old with an unlimited ceiling.

Weaknesses:

Production nosedived in 2013, largely due to extra attention from offensive coordinators. Did not prove he can play through multiple blockers on a consistent enough basis, a challenge he will also face in the pros. Plays out of control at times and needs to maintain better awareness and field leverage. Is too overzealous getting at the quarterback and go right by ballcarriers as a result. Will rush too wide or too far inside and open up running lanes. Will take plays off, and clearly shows, as there is a wide margin between his top-effort impact and plays that he gives up on. Will come off the ball too high when he’s fatigued and will get easily stalemated. Tall for a defensive lineman and will always have difficulty anchoring as a run defender and vs. double teams. Carries a lot of off-field drama. Had a publicly contentious relationship with his head coach Steve Spurrier. Slowed by a foot injury throughout his career and questionable toughness to play through it at times (though he did not have much to personally gain by doing so). Dedication to practice, the team, and improving his ability is questionable. Had multiple excessive speeding tickets while at South Carolina.

Red Flags: Minor Injury Concerns, Work Ethic, Minor Character Concerns

Bottom Line: An enigmatic talent who has some bust traits, Jadeveon Clowney is one of the best talents to come out of the college ranks in the past ten years. Clowney is a scheme-versatile, three-down player who can fit at almost any field position. While Clowney has some red flags, his talent and upside will likely command a top two draft pick and is enough to ignore some of his foibles for what he can do on game day. After a sterling performance at the combine and his pro day, Clowney should have washed out the bad taste of his junior season in the minds of evaluators and resituated himself as the number one overall prospect. Clowney would fit best on a team that trades up for him and is ready to contend for a Super Bowl, where he can stay motivated and where signing him to a second contract is not a must for the team. An incredibly rare talent who ranks in the pantheon of great players entering the draft that I’ve personally evaluated, including Ndamukong Suh and Andrew Luck.

Comparison: Lawrence Taylor

Grade: 10.7 (Rare Talent)

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