NFL Draft Profile: Jaxon Player, Interior Defensive Lineman, Baylor Bears

NFL Draft profile scouting report for Baylor iDL Jaxon Player

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#90
Pos: iDL
Ht: 6000
Wt: 294
40: 5.08
Hometown: Houston, TX
High School: Midway
Eligibility: 2023

Jaxon Player
Baylor Bears

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One-Liner:

A long-time contributor at Tulsa, Jaxon Player will take his versatile and refined skillset to the Big 12 in 2022 to play at Baylor. Player’s impressive movement skills, active hands, and excellent feel for leverage make him a dangerous defender on any snap. That said, he is undersized for the position and has short arms. He sorely lacks power. Player can be an early backup with solid role-player potential.

Evaluation:

The Tulsa Golden Hurricanes’ roster has produced notable NFL talent in recent years. Though he will be playing his college football at Baylor in 2022, Jaxon Player has years of starting experience and has operated everywhere from the nose to the five-tech. The defensive lineman boasts good long speed and short-area quickness for his frame. His burst and change of direction are impressive. Player displays a sudden first step to split doubles, shoot gaps, and penetrate. Further, Player’s upper body strength enables him to create space before capitalizing with his movement. He explodes into his opponents’ chests quickly and has success from there. A technical athlete, Player has an excellent feel for leverage that helps his power output and his anchor. He also ostensibly always has a pass rush plan behind early hands. He employs a wide variety of moves while constantly processing and addressing blockers’ actions mid-play. Player fights hands well to create openings upon which he can capitalize with leg drive and burst. The new Baylor defender has a knack for working through or around blocks, though it is not always pretty. He constantly creates body and approach angles to melt through engagement. He uses changes of direction and hand counters to shed blocks. Player’s hands and legs are constantly working. In run defense, the former Tulsa star tracks the ball carrier well while engaged. He disrupts the play with penetration. He mirrors ball carriers in tight spaces. Though he is an above-average mover, Player is small for the position at a spring-recorded 5106 and 294 pounds. He lacks NFL-caliber length and, thus, struggles to finish rushes. He may not be an every-down or scheme-versatile player in the league. He has consistently struggled against NFL prospects, including tight ends. What’s more, Player’s power is primarily manufactured with leverage and burst. Still, he does not always push opponents. He is regularly washed, driven, and sealed. If Player beats linemen early with movement, they can slow him easily and recover. Moreover, Player’s hands are very high and wide at contact, a tendency that further reduces his functional power. He sometimes plays ahead of his frame in an attempt to compensate for his short arms. In run defense, Player does not maintain sound gap integrity. He is not a reliable tackler through engagement. He will likely struggle to wrap up NFL ball carriers.

Grade:

5th Round

Background:

Jaxon Player transferred from Tulsa to Baylor where he made an impact for them. In 2018, as a freshman, he played in ten games, sophomore he played in nine. He started as a senior, in twelve games for Tulsa and was Second Team All Acc and Pro Football Focus All American Third Team. He attended Waco Midway High School where he was a leader in his senior season where his team went fifteen and one. He was born September 23, 1999 to Christy Player and is majoring in Management.