POSITIVES
— Above-average snap get-off.
— Strong, consistent punch, particularly in the run game.
— Great upper-body strength. Gets easy extension after engaging and can control blocks.
— Very good anchor when he sees the play correctly. Does well to settle and hold ground, even against doubles.
— Above-average movement skills for his size. Comes off blocks with decent range.
— Good leg drive. Keeps his legs churning to get deep into the backfield.
— Can be an effective pocket pusher on passing downs.
NEGATIVES
— Balance is an issue at times. Can lean and put himself on the ground.
— Vision and feel for run concepts can be spotty.
— Natural leverage issues due to tall frame. Could be more of a problem in the NFL.
— Tested as a worse athlete than he shows on film.
OVERALL
Jayden Peevy has all the components of a starting NFL defensive tackle, but he will need some fine-tuning to unlock that potential.
Peevy is a nice athlete on tape. He gets off the snap well and shows surprising movement skills, both across the line of scrimmage and in space, for a player who looks as heavyset as he does. Peevy may not have the juice to consistently end up in the backfield by slicing through gaps, but he can keep up with outside plays and chase well enough in space. While he did not back any of that up at the NFL combine, at least it shows on tape.
The core of Peevy’s game is really about strength and physicality anyway. He’s a nasty, relentless player who packs a ton of punch in his upper body. He may not be the craftiest hand fighter right now, but he brings enough power and length that he makes it work. Peevy rarely has issues controlling blocks with his strength. Likewise, he anchors exceptionally well when he keeps his feet with him. He can hunker down and hold his ground against double-teams when need be. Peevy’s power bleeds into his pass-rushing reps as well. He brings great leg drive and will be an effective pocket pusher at the next level.
Peevy’s issues right now are mostly technical. As of now, he does not have quick feet, and he can struggle to keep his base under him, leading to balance issues. Peevy’s balance issues are partly related to his leverage as well. Being 6’5″, Peevy naturally plays high and sometimes has issues trying to play lower. Additionally, his awareness comes and goes. He has too many moments where he fails to identify a blocking scheme correctly and ends up taking himself out of the play.
Peevy could reasonably play 1-tech or 3-tech in the NFL, though 1-tech may be a more natural home. He may be volatile early on due to his unrefined technique and awareness, but he has the strength, physicality and baseline movement skills to be a net-positive run defender and useful pocket compressor in the passing game.
GRADE: 7.0 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter – 3rd Round)
