J.J. Weaver, EDGE, Kentucky
Size:
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 244 lbs
Accomplishments:
2021 Third-Team All-SEC (2021), All-SEC Freshman Team (2020)
J.J. Weaver is an experienced, well-rounded defender with a deep pass-rush tool bag and doesn’t look like a fish out of water rushing the passer. He’s played a ton of football and has been moved all around Kentucky’s defense, gaining a lot of knowledge of situational needs.”
Strengths:
Team captain
Pass-rush plan
Doesn’t shy away from pullers
Hand location
Pass-rush moves
Concerns:
Lateral agility
Stop and start athleticism
First-step explosion
Play strength
Film Analysis:
J.J. Weaver has played a lot of football at Kentucky, most recently playing most of his snaps as an EDGE. He has experience as an off-ball linebacker, dropping into coverage and covering running backs out of the flat, but Kentucky sent him after the passer more and more, racking up 16 sacks in the last three seasons. His pass-rush tool bag, mixed with a good plan for attacking tackles, has produced positive results and helped other teammates with pressure output.
Weaver displays a bevy of rush moves from a speed-to-power bull rush to a shoulder dip and rip underneath the tackle. However, his go-to is the speed-to-power long-arm. It allows him to attack inside and disengage to close on the quarterback. He’s also an active counter-rusher with a spin move and chop at his disposal. He’s an experienced and effective stunting lineman who can time his knife between pass protectors to free up loopers. In the run game, he’s better attacking pullers than head-up run blockers, and he can do so by setting a hard edge with his shoulder or crossing the face of the puller and blowing up the play.
He’s tall but undersized at 244 pounds with a lower half that isn’t filled out enough and lacks dominant physical traits. The lack of anchor makes him susceptible to mauling offensive linemen and forces him to focus more on not losing ground than locating the football. He struggles as a lateral athlete and is hard-pressed to stop and start with the ever-changing angles of pursuing a ball-carrier. Weaver’s lack of explosion and downhill speed makes it difficult to threaten the arc and open up his inside counters as effectively as he wants. He was largely ineffective against Georgia and Missouri.
In conclusion, Weaver has the experience, body type, and pass-rush acumen of an older prospect but lacks the physical attributes to be a true difference-maker.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme-specific contributor
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Florida (2023), Missouri (2023), Georgia (2023), Clemson (2023)
