Scouting Report 5 - Timmy Jernigan - #3 DT - FSU

So, Mike Mayock made headlines in Chicago recently by saying the Bears should sprint to the podium if Timmy Jernigan is there. This made me want to look at some of his film as soon as possible. Here are his measureables.

Name: Timmy Jernigan
College: Florida State
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 292 lbs
Position: DT

The first game I want to look at is FSU against Pittsburgh. This game took place on September 2, 2013. His stat line from the game, according to ESPN.com is 4 tackles 1 sack.

So, the first thing I noticed was his strength. He seems to be much stronger then the opposing offensive lineman. However, he doesn't appear to be quicker. He doesn't seem to have a good burst at the snap of the ball or good reaction time to get out of his stance. When he does get out of his stance, it almost looks like he is coming up too high, and playing tall. He really didn't get good penetration on passing plays. 

However, the running game was a different story. He rarely was pushed around. He looked like he controlled his gap, regardless if he was double teamed. He seemed to be able to use his hands well to shed blocks, and was rarely pushed out of his original position. It looked like this was largely due to his strength. 

The next game I'm going to look at is Timmy Jernigan against Auburn. This was the national title game. Again, I'm having issues with uploading the movie, I don't really know how to fix this issue. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyskhb7bbm4

So, he appears to be an elite run defender. He can take on multiple blocks, shed them, and get to the running back. He can help take away the inside runs, as he maintains gap integrity on nearly every play. He may be better against the run than Louis Nix.

However, it again appears that he lacks the quickness of the ball, or just generally, to effectively rush the passer. He almost never gets pressure on the QB. It looks like this is a result of several things: 1) he's not fast; 2) he lacks quickness; 3) he relies too much on his strength to beat defenders; 4) he plays too high; and 5) he just doesn't appear to have the necessary athleticism. But having said all that, some of that is correctable and could allow him to translate into an every down NT type tackle in either a 3-4 or 4-3, although I think his size is better suited for a 4-3. 

The final game I'm going to look at is Timmy Jernigan against Maryland in 2012.

In this video you will once again see that he is great at using his hands to navigate through blockers. He is great at allowing the plays to flow to him. Once they get to him, he does a great job of finishing them off. To this end he is a good tackler. He doesn't seem to ever over pursue or be caught out of position. Sometimes that causes him to pass up on easy sacks. He doesn't really seem to be all that aggressive either. It looks like he likes to play things conservatively. While that leads to great fundamentals, it also means he won't be a playmaker in the NFL. 

I think this is doubly obvious because he really only relies on a power move and swim move. I think he could really benefit himself by developing another move, like an effective spin move. What's more, he lines up right over the ball on nearly every play and is nearly offsides based on where he lines up. However, he is almost always one of the last people on the field to react to the ball being snapped. While he is great in the run game, he will not be an effective tackle if he's asked to penetrate and pressure the QB, as he would be in a Tampa 2. 

My overall impressions of him are pretty solid. I wouldn't be at all shocked if he was taken in the first round. With that said, I think Mayock was a bit off his rocker by suggesting the Bears, at 14, should run to the podium to select when he is still there. This guy can be a great asset in shutting down the run. However, he needs to do more than just rely on his strength. He needs to start getting lower and I think he needs another move. If I'm the Bears and he drops into the early to mid-second round, I would take him. He kind of reminds me of a Tank Johnson. I think he is a late first round talent though, and can be an effective starter for a decade. Because he cannot rush the passer effectively, I think you'll see him switch teams quite a bit though.