Jaquan Brisker NFL Draft Overview
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 199 pounds
Position: Safety
School: Penn State
Jaquan Brisker NFL Draft Profile
For the past three years, Jaquan Brisker manned the safety position at Penn State and was continually a force to be reconned with. His football journey may have ended at Penn State but it was not where it started. After poor testing out of high school, Brisker had to go the JUCO route. Following two years at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania, and racking up 118 tackles, 23 for loss, nine sacks, and four interceptions. He had many Power Five offers but elected to stay close and moved just 147 miles west.
His first year as a starter in 2019 was solid, logging 31 tackles, one for loss, and two interceptions. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Brisker became the full-time starting safety. On the year, he posted 51 tackles, three for loss, and an interception. Brisker was named third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches. Last year, Brisker played through a shoulder injury and ended up having his best year as a Nittany Lion. He ended up with 63 tackles, six for loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in that ridiculous nine overtime game against Illinois. His honors included an All-Big Ten First Team selection along with a Second-Team All-American Selection via CBS.
Brisker enters the 2022 NFL Draft accomplished and ready to make an impact at the next level. His abilities and traits look to make him a highly-coveted prospect in today’s NFL.
Strengths
- Able to match up and line up against different positions, notably athletic tight ends
- High football IQ, was trusted with a litany of responsibilities
- Great instincts when breaking up a pass
- Violent, fearless, and sure-tackling in the run game
- Adept at shooting gaps when in the box
- Special teams flexibility
- Can read the quarterback, anticipate routes, and has the footwork to adjust
Weaknesses
- Angles against speed need work
- Can be caught staring into the backfield
- Has shown to over-pursue runners in the open field
- Doesn’t have the back-peddling speed, shows when tasked with deep coverage
NFL Comparison: Malcolm Jenkins
Teams With Need At Position: New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans
Projection: Second Round
Bottom Line on Jaquan Brisker
Identifying a great NFL safety remains surprisingly difficult. Even more challenging is finding a safety who can load the box as well as cover this new breed of athletic freaks at tight end. If a team is out of the running for the top safety in the draft or is torn between that safety and another, they could find substantial value at the top-end of the second round with Brisker.
As a prospect, Brisker is currently hovering around the fifth-best safety in the draft. His pre-draft testing may result in his being selected earlier than previously anticipated as he earned a 9.08 RAS score. Brisker is a very smart, very athletic prospect that will hear his name called early on day two at the latest.
In his three years, Brisker was tasked with numerous responsibilities as a safety. He can line up to play man on a tight end or slot receiver, deep third in zone, and can crash the line of scrimmage to defend the run. Brisker has the ability to play both strong safety and free safety. As a prospect, Brisker projects as a solid starter at the next level. While he can come in and start on day one, Brisker could benefit from landing in a spot with an established out-going safety to learn the system and rectify his few weaknesses. If drafted into a situation where he plays right away, Brisker will end up a legitimate threat as a rookie. He projects to have a strong career as a starting safety in the NFL.
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