Bill Belichick is often credited with emphasizing player strengths when evaluating pro prospects. “Tell me what the guy can do, don’t tell me what he can’t do”, was a fundamental principle of a Belichick evaluation. This concept is evoked when evaluating Oregon defensive lineman Jordan Burch as a 2025 NFL Draft prospect. The 23-year-old is a player who has experience all across Oregon’s defensive line. He has played as both an EDGE defender and as a defensive tackle in their scheme. A projected third-round pick, Burch’s film paints a picture of a fascinating pro prospect.
Overview, Film Analysis, And 2025 Scouting Report Of Oregon EDGE Defender Jordan Burch
Measurables
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 295 lbs
Player Background
Jordan Burch has had an interesting path to get to this current point. From a young age, Burch seemed poised for football greatness. A standout at Hammond High School in Columbia, South Carolina, Burch played his way to a five-star designation out of high school. A captain in the 2020 Under Armour All-American game, Burch would opt to stay in his home state with his college commitment.
Jordan Burch began his college career at South Carolina. As a member of the Gamecocks, Burch saw some action as a true freshman. His numbers picked up a bit as a sophomore. Punctuated by an interception returned for a touchdown, Burch seemed poised to make a major leap in his junior season. While nothing to scoff at, Burch’s junior season was not the firework show some had anticipated. He notched 3.5 sacks and 60 tackles in his third season with the Gamecocks. This would, however, be his last on South Carolina’s squad, as he would enter the transfer portal in 2022.
Among interest from numerous teams, Jordan Burch landed in Oregon with head coach Dan Lanning. The move was a bit slow to provide returns, as Burch’s numbers saw a decline in his first season with the Ducks. His final season in 2024 suddenly became a major inflection point in his career, and Burch answered the call. In his final season as a college athlete, Burch recorded a career-high in sacks. He managed to garner enough attention in this last season to rebuild his status as a noteworthy draft prospect. With his name once again firmly in the mix, an evaluation of his tape begins to shed light on where he may fit on an NFL roster.
Strengths
Jordan Burch looks the part of a contributing NFL player. His 6’6″ frame and muscular stature puts him firmly in the mix of a standard NFL defensive end. This size is useful to Burch in his play. Namely, he has a good ability to bench press linemen from his frame and generate separation in order to diagnose a play. Burch plays with a wide, stout base on the interior that allows minimal lateral push from offensive linemen. He also possesses an incredibly powerful first step, that generates speed at a fast rate allowing him to convert that speed to power and disrupt plays.
In terms of where Burch’s game is most impressive, it is certainly as a pass rusher. Burch showed impressive dip and bend on his tape for a guy his size. Being able to sink his hips and attack advantageous angles as he does is immensely impressive for his size. His 2023 tape showed a player who was a bit more decisive in deploying pass-rush moves. This is something coaches will want to see Burch return to at the next level.
Weaknesses
Listing the shortcomings of Burch’s game presents a myriad of issues. One concerning characteristic is that Burch seems to be a step slow off the ball. This allows linemen to attack and get hands on him, minimizing the impact of his frame and length. With this slow first step comes hands that are also a bit slow and inactive. You would like to see Burch be more decisive and aggressive with his hands. Deploying more pass rush moves and counters for linemen will be crucial going forward.
Burch also does present some shortcomings when disrupting interior run plays. When Burch is doubled, he presents himself a bit too passively. You would like to see him get more aggressive when defeating doubles. Burch will also at times look to take the path of least resistance when two-gapping or reaching a stalemate with an offensive lineman. Questions about his gap integrity will persist if that continues.
Again, a more complete repertoire of pass rush moves is something Burch should look to focus on when preparing for NFL play. While he has a solid bull rush off the edge, and converting speed to power, his hands are too passive and do not reflect a player with a confident pass-rush plan. Coaches will look to get on Burch early and often to address this.
Potential Team Fits
NFL Projection
Jordan Burch is an older NFL prospect for someone whose game needs as much refining as his does. His hand usage as a pass rusher, pass rush plan, and get-off, all need to improve for him to make a meaningful impact at the next level. Still, Burch’s tape suggests he has some untapped potential as a pass rusher. Burch’s shuffling along the defensive line certainly does not assist in his development. If Burch is drafted by a team with a history of developing pass rushers and commits to him in a situational pass rush role early on, he should succeed. The physical traits, and natural ability to bend when rushing the passer are simply too impressive. However, if Burch is drafted to play a similar role as he played at Oregon, it is unlikely he will make a meaningful impact.
His late-day-two projection seems appropriate for where his game is currently. Looking at what Burch can do, not what he can’t makes him an intriguing selection. Teams want to get to the quarterback, and Jordan Burch has shown an ability to do that in a part-time EDGE defender role. Burch will be an environment-dependent prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Main Photo: [Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard] – USA Today Sports
