Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
HEIGHT: 5’9”
WEIGHT: 175
POSITIVES
— Quick-footed player who possesses very good twitch, with ability to quickly get out of breaks.
— Plays with good leverage in press. Able to flip hips and get into the receiver’s hip pocket.
— Very good ball skills. Plays ball in the air with short notice, and has the ability to break up passes at catch point.
— Aggressive versus the run. Good reaction and quickness to beat blockers to the spot. Willing tackler.
NEGATIVES
— Top-end speed is a question. Has the twitch to open and run but can struggle carrying routes deep.
— Lack of length can come into play in both pass and run games. Can come into trouble with bigger receivers.
— Throws body around but doesn’t always wrap up. Poor tackling can show up too often.
2021 STATISTICS
8 Games, 26 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PBU
NOTES
— Invited to East-West Shrine Bowl
— 2021 2nd Team PFF All American
— 2021, 2020, 2019 First Team All Sun Belt
OVERALL
Shaun Jolly is an active player with very good athleticism. He is a bit undersized but shows to have very good twitch and change of direction.
In previous years, he had a bit more on-ball production. For him, the 2021 season looked to be a bit more conservative. An East-West Shrine Bowl invitee, he was able to compete with all receivers, showing why he was a multiple year All-American.
His breaking ability was evident, as well as his press-man ability. An ultimate competitor, he had trouble defending some of the bigger receivers. As he also showed throughout the season, he has very good ball skills and awareness. He showed the timing necessary to attack the reception point and even get his head around to play the ball. When downfield, he tended to fall behind at times, which leads me to question his top-end speed; as he is more quick than fast.
Some of his bigger troubles come in the run game. Jolly is a willing tackler but often just throws his body in the ball carrier without wrapping them up. When he does wrap up, he can occasionally melt off ball carriers because of his size. When in the open field, Jolly can sometimes take poor angles to the tackle.
Ultimately, Jolly has tons of experience that will serve him well. His lack of height and length are a concern, but his athleticism can aid him in playing both from the outside and slot. He is a draftable player but will need to continue to clean up his game to overcome his size to make a roster.
GRADE: 5.7 (6th Round: Backup/draftable)
PRO COMPARISON: Parry Nickerson
Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
