Jason Strowbridge 2020 NFL Draft Profile
Like many North Carolina defensive prospects, Jason Strowbridge was faced with the task of providing impact similar to Lawrence Taylor. Strowbridge played at Deerfield Beach High School under Allen Jackson. Coming out of high school, Strowbridge was highly recruited and well sought after. He was a four-star prospect according to ESPN and Scout.com. He was also considered the number 29 defensive end in the nation by ESPN.com and the number 61 prospect in Florida. He had 12 sacks, broke up two passes and recovered a fumble as a junior. Strowbridge committed to North Carolina following his high school career.
College
As a red-shirt freshman, Jason Strowbridge had 12 tackles on the season, with 2.5 for loss, including two sacks. In his sophomore season, he appeared in all 12 games and made nine starts on the defensive line. Strowbridge recorded 34 tackles on the season with 5.5 for loss, while having one sack, a forced fumble and a pair of quarterback hurries. In his junior year, Strowbridge started all 11 games along the defensive line. He earned All-ACC honorable mention honors after posting 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, four pressures, a pass breakup and a blocked kick against Miami.
As a senior, Strowbridge was a third team All-ACC selection and tied for the ACC lead with three fumble recoveries. He totaled 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a career-high 45 tackles. He had his best game against rival Duke where he set a career high with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. In his career he totaled 127 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.
Strengths
- Has an NFL body;
- Violent hands;
- Good ability to overcome cut blocks;
- Good quickness to the neutral zone;
- High motor;
- High acceleration off the ball
Weaknesses
- Issues with consistency against blocks;
- Lacks agility to avoid double teams;
- Needs to develop secondary rush moves
- A bit out of control when attacking the quarterback;
- Tackle range is below average;
- Footwork and hands can be out of sync
Bottom Line on Jason Strowbridge
Strowbridge will give opponents a physical challenge with good length, toughness and hand usage at the point of attack. His potential is high after a superb performance at the Senior Bowl. The ability to rush the passer is there and with proper technique, he can develop into a solid player. His strength will help out in the beginning, along with his acceleration off the line.
But, Strowbridge lacks the suddenness and short-area directional change to be a consistent force. He also cannot rely on his strength for every play and instead must focus on technique. His hand movement across the line is inconsistent. He has the upside of a 3-4 defensive end but is best suited as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. Strowbridge will also need to focus on bursting between the guard instead of simply running through tackles.
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