Thursday, March 15, 2012

LSU Football: Jordan Jefferson's Best Bet Is to Switch Positions

Anyone who watched this past year’s college football National Championship Game knows that this very statement is as accurate as they come:

Jordan Jefferson is not an NFL quarterback.”

Despite his superior athleticism, Jefferson lacks multiple tools that are needed to succeed at the NFL level. For starters, he is not an accurate passer, and while in this day and age, that isn’t everything people look for in a quarterback, it is still the biggest, most important thing that NFL scouts look for.

Jefferson completed just 11-of-17 passes for a measly 53 yards and an interception in the National Championship Game against an Alabama defense that was the closest thing to an NFL defense he saw throughout his college football career. He looked lost and ineffective throughout that entire game, failing to lead his team past the 50-yard line, no less into the end zone.

In addition to his lack of accuracy, Jefferson also has poor mechanics for a quarterback trying to make it in the NFL. He has a poor release point on his passes, which can lead to poor accuracy. And most importantly, he doesn’t make good decisions in close games. That is something that will always stop you from playing at the next level.

So the question I bring up is: Why doesn’t Jefferson consider changing positions?

Like I said, he isn’t going to be an NFL starting quarterback. At best, and I mean at the very best, he could be used in certain wildcat situations, but that’s highly unlikely considering there are players certainly faster than him who also have the ability to run out of that formation.

Personally, I think that Jefferson’s best shot at making it in the NFL is to develop a wider range of skills and sell himself to teams as someone who can catch passes, run the ball and throw the ball when called upon. Call it an h-back or a wide receiver hybrid, if you may.

In this day and age, you see more trick plays and unfamiliar formations than ever before. Teams are looking for any advantage they can get on offense, which can confuse the opposing defenses and catch them off-guard. Therefore, it would be in Jefferson’s benefit to sell himself as someone who can come in for certain formations and execute that type of trick play.

There are plenty of examples of players who have done something similar to this that Jefferson should base his game after. Look at Armani Edwards of the Carolina Panthers and Brad Smith of the Buffalo Bills. These are the guys who Jefferson should be designing his game and skill-set after.

Who knows, maybe Jordan Jefferson makes an NFL team as a third-string quarterback and works his way to a starting role one day. It’s not necessarily impossible, but his chances of making a roster are much better at a position other than quarterback.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1106122-jordan-jeffersons-best-bet-is-to-switch-positions

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