The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed seventh round rookie linebacker Leon Jacobs out of Wisconsin.
Jacobs is expected to compete for playing time at the SAM linebacker spot and on special teams. Let’s check in on our friends at Bucky’s 5th Quarter to see what we can expect from who they call “an athletic freak”.
On the field, he brings some versatility in that he played both inside and outside linebacker in his time at Wisconsin. There was a willingness to do whatever was best for the team, even moving to fullback for a brief time for the 2016 season before injuries at inside linebacker prompted him to return to the defensive side of the ball. He is explosive, extremely strong, can run downhill quickly with that 4.48-second (40-yard dash) speed, and he can close on ball carriers.
On the flip side, he moved around a lot so I still think his best football is ahead of him once he settles down into a defined role (which with this Wisconsin draft class is a theme with Natrell Jamerson, Jack Cichy and Jacobs all having played at least a couple of positions at the collegiate level). I think he is more explosive downhill rather than laterally, with some of the 20-yard shuttle and 3-cone drill times performed at the NFL Combine demonstrating that.
Last year’s No. 230 overall pick was safety Josh Harvey-Clemons, who signed a four-year, $2,484,306 contract, so Jacobs should make a little more than that.
Read more from our interview with Bucky’s 5th Quarter here.