JoJo Domann NFL Draft Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6′-1″
Weight: 228 pounds
School: Nebraska
JoJo Domann 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After spending the entirety of his college football career at Nebraska, linebacker JoJo Domann is taking his talents to the next level in the 2022 NFL Draft. Domann is coming off arguably the best season of his young career, appearing in 10 games while recording 71 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Domann originally joined Nebraska as one of the top recruits in the country. Originally signing on as a safety, Domann spent the majority of his freshman season on special teams and in a reserve role. Domann missed the entirety of his 2017 season with a torn ACL and switched to playing linebacker in 2018. Because of this, he didn’t truly break out until the 2019 season. During his first full year at linebacker, Domann appeared in 12 games while recording 52 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles.
Strengths
- One of the better coverage linebackers in this class – spent a lot of time in the slot;
- Quick on his feet and can mirror tight ends on routes;
- Impressive agility and straight-line speed allow him to hang with running backs in coverage;
- Elusive enough to pass by slower offensive linemen in the run game;
- Good nose for the football – nine forced fumbles while at college.
Weaknesses
- Notably undersized for the position;
- Will struggle taking on larger blockers in run assignments;
- Small frame could be responsible for his collegiate injury history;
- Not the guy you’re looking for if you want a box linebacker;
- Rarely utilized as a pass rusher;
- Already 24 years old;
- Short arms and wingspan are a problem when offensive linemen engage with him.
Projection: Round 3-4
Teams With Need At Position: Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles
NFL Comparison: Malcolm Smith
Bottom Line on JoJo Domann
JoJo Domann is not the type of player that comes to mind when you think of a linebacker. Instead of a big, physical presence in the middle of the defense, Domann excels at working in the slot and hanging around in coverage. In many ways, the linebacker is more of a slot cornerback responsible for covering tight ends and running backs in the short and intermediate portions of the field.
While he’s no superstar, Domann is one of the better coverage linebackers in this class, and that carries a lot of value in today’s NFL. Domann is smaller than your typical linebacker, but he has enough size and agility to still make plays both in the run game against slower tackles. Add in an impressive nose for the football, and you’ve got a player that has a clear path to a career in the NFL.
However, Domann is not without his faults. He simply doesn’t have the size to ever play in the middle of a defense, and his small build combined with his short arms means that he’s basically out of the play every time an offensive linemen gets two hands on him. Additionally, he has struggled to stay healthy throughout his college career. While injuries tend to have more to do with luck than anything else, it is possible that his underwhelming build has contributed to his ailments over the years.
Ultimately, Domann projects as a solid situational linebacker at the next level. While he probably won’t develop into a true three-down player, he should be more than capable of playing on clear passing downs and holding up against tight ends and running backs in coverage.
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