Steelers Draft Watch: S Jamal Adams

Let’s take a look at a hard-hitting Steelers Draft target who could be an enforcer in the secondary for the Black & Gold: LSU S Jamal Adams.

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Tyrann Mathieu. Eric Berry. Patrick Peterson. Eric Reid. All of these stars in their NFL team’s respected secondaries share one commonality: they all hail from LSU, otherwise known as DB-U.

In our next “Draft Watch” article, let’s take a look at a secondary option who may be the latest NFL superstar to come out of DB-U: LSU S Jamal Adams.

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S Jamal Adams, LSU

Strengths

While star RB Leonard Fournette may grab most of the national attention at LSU, one of the best defenders in the nation patrols their defense. Junior safety Jamal Adams is one of the most exciting watches in all of football. With prototypical size and athleticism, Adams flies all over the field and makes plays.

Standing at 6’1″ 211 pounds, Adams possesses the required frame to defend against larger receivers and bully around blockers in the run game. In run support, Adams flashes an insane burst that allows him to close in on ball carriers and deliver devastating hits. He is an exceptionally hard hitter who strikes fear in his opponents with his explosive playing style.

In coverage, Adams demonstrates fantastic click and close abilities to read the field in front of him and go into attack mode. Adams is an absolute heat seeking missile, as he drops down from coverage and is constantly making plays near the line of scrimmage.

Additionally, Adams is highly experienced as a slot and outside corner. He possesses the fluidity in coverage to stay in-phase with receivers, and has great instincts to break on the ball and jump passing lanes.

However, what separates Adams from other prospects is the passion and fire he plays with on a snap to snap basis. Adams displays fantastic hustle and effort, as he covers so much ground both in coverage and in run support. Adams practically lives around the line of scrimmage, racking up a ton of tackles near the line even as a safety. The energy of his game is extremely contagious and his play inspires his teammates around him to enhance their level of play.

Overall, Adams’ combination of athleticism and physicality make him an ideal target for the Steeler’s defensive style.

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Weaknesses

To sum it up, there are not too many weaknesses to Adams’ game. He has not been tested as much as NFL evaluators may wish in situations as a deep cover safety, as he mostly plays closer to the line of scrimmage. However, Adams has excelled in most situations i’ve seen him in coverage, and has done nothing to worry NFL teams about his ability to play the centerfielder role in an NFL defense.

Honestly, Adams’ biggest weakness is that he may fall out of the Steeler’s range on Draft Day, especially if we bring home that 7th Lombardi.

Fit

Jamal Adams is an absolute freak of nature, and unfortunately, he may be out of the Steeler’s range on Draft Day. However, with names like Eddie Jackson, Jabrill Peppers, Budda Baker, Justin Evans and more all expected to be early-round selections in a loaded 2017 crop of safeties, anything could happen.

If not Adams, there are plenty of more safety options for the Steelers to choose from. Expect the Steelers to be once again bolstering the secondary in an intriguing 2017 Draft class.

Overall, Jamal Adams is an explosive and dynamic player that you want on your favorite team. Here is to hoping that he somehow ends up as a member of the Black & Gold!