Jerry Hughes Position: DE/OLB School: TCU Height: 6’1 3/4“ Weight: 245 lbs Class: Senior 40 time: 4.67 Overall Grade: 6.91 Draft Projection: First Round

– Draft Breakdown Red Star Player

Non-position specific categories

Linebacker Specific Categories

Strengths

Ultra-fast first step. A very pure pass rusher that has a wide array of moves. Effective bull rusher. Uses hands well to disengage from the blocker. Has the ability to change directions while rushing the passer and not lose speed. Great in pursuit. Very high motor. Does a nice job anticipating the snap count. Lined up in a variety of positions at TCU. Reads and flows to the ball well on run plays. Sure tackler. Does a great job chasing the play down from behind when the ball is run away from him. Closing speed, burst, balance and body control are all well above average. Has experience dropping into zone coverage. Led all FBS schools in sacks for 2009.

Weaknesses

Though he has dropped into coverage, his abilities as a cover linebacker are limited. Hips aren’t as fluid as you’d like to see and he has a lot of work to do to fully transition to a linebacker spot. Doesn’t possess ideal height for the position. Arm length is only average. Can get overpowered by stronger offensive lineman when playing against the rush. Didn’t face the toughest competition in the Mountain West Conference.

Analysis

Hughes is an ideal fit to transition to a 3-4 rush linebacker spot at the next level. His pass rushing skills are among the best in the draft. High motor, high character and great work ethic make him a very well rounded player that any coach would love to have on their roster. Though he can get overpowered at times in the running game, he’s still effective against the rush and can still potentially play 4-3 DE in the NFL. Hughes needs to work on his coverage skills but that’s a common problem among college pass rushers. I have to drop his production/experience down a bit due to the competition he faced in the MWC, but he was very dominate in that conference. His stock may have dipped a bit when he decided not to participate in the Senior Bowl, and a closely ranked player, Brandon Graham, had a very dominate performance that week. Regardless, Hughes has been slightly overlooked by many and should be looked at as a late first round draft pick.

Experience

Hughes was a two year starter at TCU, but saw significant playing time in his first two seasons.

Awards and Honors

2009: Hendricks Award winner. Lott Trophy winner. 1st team All-American. 1st team All-MWC. Lombardi Award finalist. Bronko Nagurski Award finalist.
2008: 1st team All-American. 1st team All-MWC.
2007: n/a
2006: n/a

Academics

Communications major at TCU.

Injuries

No history of injuries.

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