Green Bay Packers: Four Box Safety Draft Prospects
By Kenny Jilek
JaCoby Stevens
Of the four guys here, Stevens will probably be picked the furthest back in the draft and is a day three guy. This is likely because his physical tools don’t immediately jump off the screen when you watch him. Even so, he usually plays good fundamental football and could be a working cog in this defense.
One thing that he does well is tackle. You won’t often see him flying upfield with reckless abandon to drop the hammer on someone, but he’s probably the most sure-handed tackler of the bunch without being the hardest hitter. Sometimes just getting the guy to the ground is more important than making a big stick for the oohs and ahhs of the crowd.
He is faster than Deablo and, for the most part, more active in helping in run support when playing deep. He’s not a great fit for a deep safety, but there is a chance that he could develop into one of their back-end starters.
His other big knock is his inconsistency, especially in biting on play-action fakes and taking on blocks. There are times when he’s unfazed by the run fakes, but others when he looks lost. And in the same vein, times when he is physical in getting off blocks to make a play and others when he gets driven completely out of it.
Overall, Stevens probably won’t be a huge impact player but could be a great value pick towards the back of the draft.