Jabari Zuniga Overview
Position: EDGE
School: Florida
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 264 lbs
Arm Length: 32⅞”
NFL Combine Performance Data
40 Yard dash: 4.64
Vertical Jump: 33”
Broad Jump: 127”
Bench Press: 29 reps
Jabari Zuniga 2020 NFL Draft Profile
Jabari Zuniga was originally a three-star recruit coming out of high school who didn’t start playing football until his junior year. Zuniga would then go on to use all four years of his eligibility at the University of Florida.
There, Zuniga immediately became an impact player when he first saw the field as a redshirt freshman. In this season, he would lead his team with 5 sacks. Following a promising freshman season, Zuniga would take on a more prominent role with the team next year, starting 6 out of 10 games. Zuniga’s sophomore campaign was plagued by injuries, though. He ended up missing multiple games and played and even more while injured.
Zuniga did manage to stay healthy during his junior season and went on to start all 13 games. Zuniga found himself on NFL teams radars following a solid junior year but decided to return to school to play his senior season. His disappointing senior season was defined by a high ankle sprain he suffered during the third game of the year. After a good start to the year, Zuniga would only play in two more games on the year while still dealing with the high ankle sprain.
Strengths
- Very quick mover in open space;
- Good burst in pass rush after reacting to the snap;
- Very good frame for an EDGE rusher;
- Good hand placement;
- Lots of strength in hand swipes and punches;
- Good amount of power.
Weaknesses
- Reaction time off the snap;
- Not much natural bend;
- Consistently trips over himself or loses footing after getting free from blocks;
- Block shedding is hit or miss;
- Lack of natural length;
- Subpar finishing ability;
- Low football IQ.
NFL Comparison: Dante Fowler
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: Late 4th/Early 5th Round
Bottom Line on Jabari Zuniga
Jabari Zuniga does have a nice amount of traits to build upon as a pass rusher. Zuniga’s quickness is top-notch for an edge. He pairs this with good power in his punches and swipes. This is his most effective way of winning pass-rush snaps. Zuniga also has prototypical height and weight to play the edge position. However, Zuniga is undoubtedly still a raw prospect despite playing 4 years at Florida.
There are some deficiencies in his game that could limit his potential in the NFL. One of these deficiencies is his lack of natural bend off the edge. Zuniga does have the quickness to threaten the edge, but because he doesn’t have good bend, this will not be a consistent way he wins at the next level. Zuniga also has issues with finishing pass rush reps. When Zuniga does win a pass rush rep, he often ends up on the ground. He ends up tripping over himself or loses his balance too often, especially when trying to win off the edge.
Overall, Zuniga is an intriguing prospect on day 3. His speed, build, hands, and raw power make him interesting to develop. Though his lack of bend off the edge and poor finishing ability does limit his potential, his other traits are enough for a team to take a shot on him on day 3. If Zuniga can win more consistently with power, improve his pass rush plan of attack and processing skills, he can become a potential low-end NFL starter. Zuniga’s development in areas such as these will dictate whether he actually sees meaningful playing time in the NFL or not.
Main photo:
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