The safety class in this year’s draft is pretty strong, with guys like Kyle Hamilton, Daxton Hill, and Jalen Pitre. Another name that has gotten hype is Jaquan Brisker, who was a four-star recruit out of Gateway Senior High School. He attended Lackawanna Community College in Scranton, Pennsylvania before transfering to Penn State in 2019 and starting the last two seasons. He was named to the All-Northeast Football Conference first team as a freshman and sophomore and led the Lackawanna with 64 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks, in 2018.
Brisker was ranked as the No. 4 junior college prospect, No. 1 safety, and No. 1 junior college recruit from Pennsylvania by 247Sports. He appeared in 13 games in 2019 and was named to the Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten third team. As a starter in 2020, he started all nine games while leading the team with six pass breakups and was third on the team with 57 total tackles. Brisker earned All-American first-team honors following the season. Then in 2021, he started all 12 games on the extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic. He finished fourth among Big Ten defensive backs in tackles for loss with 5.5. He earned first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten honors while earning an invite to the Senior Bowl.
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Player Bio
Name: Jaquan Brisker
Jersey: No. 1
Position: Safety
School: Penn State
Class: Super Senior
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 200 lbs
Games Watched: Auburn (2021), Ohio State (2021), Maryland (2020), Ohio State (2020)
Major Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Instincts (14.25/15)
Brisker is an incredibly smart player and is very good at diagnosing a play while getting into position. He has gotten better and better at this every season. The 23-year old can anticipate where the ball is going in a matter of seconds. Brisker goes up to make a play whether against a pass or the run. He is also just a natural leader of the defense as he directs his teammates on where to go on a play.
Range/Closing Speed (13/15)
Brisker is shot out of a cannon as soon as he diagnoses the play. He rushes to the ball to make a play and is consistently involved in tracking down a ball carrier. There are often times Brisker will be the last line of defense to make a play and he will make a touchdown-saving tackle. A great example of this is in the Ohio State game from 2021, where he ran 70 yards from the strongside safety position to make a tackle at the one-yard line.
Watching some OSU guys, but talked about this play & thought it was worth a share – watch the effort from Jaquan Brisker to run ~70yds from Strongside Safety to make the tackle at the far pylon.
NFL teams love effort plays like this – he'll impress at the @seniorbowl 👀 pic.twitter.com/detcuh018G
— Luke Carr (@LukeCarrFB) November 23, 2021
Man Coverage (9/10)
There really isn’t much that Brisker isn’t good at, but this is an attribute he thrives at. He is on his own island in man coverage and stays toe-to-toe with the top receivers. In fact, per Pro Football Focus, he didn’t allow a single reception in 110 man coverage snaps last season. Brisker earned an 82.9 coverage grade which was first in the Big Ten. There are times he can get beat by double moves in one-on-one but he usually recovers to make a play on the ball.
Zone Coverage (8.75/10)
While he’s not as strong in zone coverage as man-to-man, Brisker still plays a solid zone. He gains good depth and rarely lets passes get over his head. The shorter zones are his much better strong suit, though, where he can run downhill and make a play on the ball carrier. In deep zones, quarterbacks can be more aggressive in throwing towards him.
Ball Skills (8.75/10)
Brisker does a nice job of reading the eyes of the quarterback and seeing where the ball is going to go. He breaks to the ball well and most of the time gets a hand to contest a pass. Brisker did only record five career interceptions, but that isn’t everything. He had 14 career pass breakups and always has his head on a swivel for tipped balls.
Change of Direction (9/10)
Brisker shows good body control and balance to shift direction downfield. That goes along with his range and closing speed where he can keep up with the play for so long and make a play. He plays with loose hips and is a very smooth mover anywhere on the field.
Tackling/Run Support (8.25/10)
There isn’t a play that Brisker won’t be involved in, and that’s true for helping against the run. He is certainly a great tackler who always makes sure to wrap up. Brisker plays very well in the box as he uses his tremendous instincts and ability to read the play to crash hard on the ball carrier. Not only that, but he’s physical and will pack a punch. He’s a true box safety and could be more productive in this area than some linebackers. In 2021, Brisker became the third Penn State defensive back since 2000 to record at least 5.5 tackles for loss.
Versatility (8.75/10)
Brisker is seen all over the field, as he can line up in single-high, two-high, or in the slot on top of dropping down to the box. He is willing to do anything on the field that the defensive coordinator asks of him. He will be able to play well enough in deep zones and can play well as a traditional linebacker.
Athleticism (9/10)
We’ve touched on Brisker’s explosiveness, and along with that, he is very physical in every area. Wherever he is on the field, he hovers around the ball while not being afraid to get extremely physical. He can blow up any play whether that be with his great man coverage or making a big tackle in the backfield.
Player Summary
If it weren’t for Hamilton, Brisker would be a strong bet for the first safety off the board. He has all the attributes to be a very talented starting safety at the next level. Looking at his tape, it was hard to see many weaknesses. He’s a tone-setter with phenomenal downhill explosiveness to make big plays. He has great eyes to track the ball consistently and shows great ability in coverage while not getting pushed around. This is a player anyone in need of a safety will be very happy to get in the first round. While he has a mid-first round grade, he might last until the end of the first or early second round.
Rookie Projections: Starting Free Safety
Third Year Projections: Pro Bowl Safety
Final Grade (88.75/100): Mid First Round
Player Comp: Derwin James
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
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