Jacarrius Peak started for two years at North Carolina State. He moved to South Carolina via the portal in January. How does his skill set project to the NFL?
Jacarrius Peak 2027 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report
Measurables
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 310 lbs
The Tape
Games Watched: at Notre Dame, at Miami, and Florida State.
Strengths
Despite uneven tape, Trey Zuhn III was drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The main reason was his toughness. When watching Peak, it’s clear to see he’s tough. He battles away and keeps fighting even when things aren’t going his way. Peak’s toughness gives him a high floor, as at minimum he projects as someone who would dress on game day. He has starting experience at both left and right tackle spots, meaning he can be a swing tackle.
There's no question about Jacarrius Peak's effort and aggression. Here, he battles away and gets the win.#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1Q1HiMiOIG
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) June 14, 2026
Peak can get movement as a run blocker. He drops his hips and uses the classic “piano mover” technique in that he doesn’t lock his arms out when drive blocking. He keeps his hands inside, elbows bent, and drives his feet on contact. Peak works to finish his blocks, even showing his aggressive disposition on pass protection reps.
As a zone blocker, Peak has quick feet, which enable him to work square to seal an edge. North Carolina State didn’t ask him to pull much, but he did show he can do this. He also showed the ability to climb to the secon level and engage linebackers effectively.
In pass protection, he flashes good hand placement and heavy hands. He has long arms and knows how to use them to help against outside speed. In the Florida State game, particularly, he looked balanced and in complete control.
Areas to Improve
There are athletic limitations to Peak’s game in pass protection. Against good speed (see the Miami game), he can be beaten on a pure speed rush. Peak knows this and overcompensates by setting up too far outside. This leaves the inside open, and often he’s left waist-bending trying to stop such a move.
When setting up in pass protection, Peak’s weight is a touch too far forward, so he doesn’t look balanced. Against power, Peak lacks “sand in his pants” (anchor weight) and will get knocked back onto his heels. While Peak is listed at 310 lbs, he looks lighter and would benefit from getting bigger and stronger.
The Notre Dame edge rusher (on the right of the screen) with a push-pull move vs Jacarrius Peak. This is a good example of Peak needing to get a little bigger and stronger.#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/rwV8glzR9H
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) June 14, 2026
Peak’s hand placement is not always great. His hands drift outside the frame, which has drawn flags. Most commonly, it’s his right/inside hand that drifts the most, often ending up on the shoulder or back of his man.
Right now, Peak has too many inconsistencies in his game. His lower body is not always connected to his upper body, which can mean he ends up waist-bending. While at times he drops his hips as a run blocker, at other times, he bends his waist, and defenders can shed him far too easily.
Key Tests in 2026
If the end-of-season Clemson matchup wasn’t enough, this will also be Peak’s biggest test. He will go up against Will Heldt, the latest in a long line of Clemson pass rushers.
Prior to that, he’ll be tested against Alabama (week four), Tennessee (week eight), Oklahoma (week nine), Texas A&M (week 10), and Georgia (week 12).
There’s certainly no question that the SEC gives all NFL hopefuls every opportunity to put together strong tape against quality competition.
The full schedule can be found here.
Jacarrius Peak 2027 NFL Draft Projection
The days when NFL defenses helpfully lined up their best pass rushers over the left tackle are long gone. If Peak played right tackle in the NFL, he could still be facing elite pass rushers. Projecting him forward, Peak would struggle against their speed and power combination, as he did against Miami in 2025. He will need to get bigger and stronger to be able to anchor. He can then look to his technique and use his arm length against NFL speed.
If viewed at tackle, Peak is behind Jordan Seaton (LSU) and Trevor Goosby (Texas), and projects more as a third-round pick with upside.
Peak may be an NFL guard. His performance against Florida State would be the kind you could expect from him at the position, as he wasn’t stressed by edge speed in that game.
For now, first-round talk would be premature. However, he will have every chance to improve his stock in the SEC.
Main Image: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
