2017 NFL Draft Comparisons: Prospect-Player Matches
By Jon Dove
Prospect: Jamal Adams, LSU
Comparison: T.J. Ward, Denver Broncos
Jamal Adams is seen by many as one of the top-5 players available in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s a playmaking safety who has the ability to play near the line of scrimmage and in deep coverage. His college career was full of highlight reel plays that speak to his upside.
Adams reminds me of a bigger T.J. Ward as someone who’ll deliver a big hit and then the next play breakup a pass deep downfield. This type of versatility is coveted in the NFL because of the different type of offenses run in the league.
Safeties like Ward and Adams are often used all over the field and asked to fill multiple roles. The problem is there aren’t a lot of safeties with their type of talent.
Most of the NFL consists of one-dimensional safeties who either are big hitters or centerfield types. The fact that Adams projects as someone with tons of versatility really helps his overall draft stock. It’s why some are projecting him as a top-3 pick.
The one concern is that Adams doesn’t have a lot of career interceptions. However, it’s important to note that LSU asked him to play near the line of scrimmage a lot of the time.