Cameron Jordan NFL Draft scouting report

Cameron Jordan
6'4, 282 pounds | Defensive end | California

Pass rush: Where Jordan is ahead of many college ends is that he has an array of pass rush moves. His best is a power move where he slaps with his lead hand and pulls his other arm over to get past the blocker. Also employs a nice spin and a rip move. Don't let his size fool you, Jordan isn't just a power rusher. Lines up over the right tackle most of the time. Can be a little slow on stunts. Will have some trouble against the quickest tackles who can simply mirror him.

Pursuit: Shows good quickness off the snap. Good timing. Fairly strong in pursuit. Jordan doesn't move laterally as well as other ends, or even as well as Cameron Heyward. Can be a little stiff in the hips on his movement. Gives a good effort, but maybe not a hair-on-fire kind of player that will work all over the line.

Run defense: Very stout against the run. Jordan is a big, strong end who keeps a good base against the run. Since he's hard to move around, Jordan is a natural lane closer. Run defense isn't always evident in the stat sheet. Often pushes the lineman back into the pocket to slow down the ball carrier, which allows teammates to make the tackle. Has the quickness to get outside to contain the edge.

Strength: Jordan is NFL ready in the strength category. He's powerful enough to hold the edge and consistently close rushing lanes. Strong enough to beat double teams, as long as the second blocker doesn't go low. Will lose some of his strength advantage by getting high in his stance.

Tackling: Because Jordan is so strong, he's a devastating tackler. When he can wrap up, the play is over. Where Jordan could do better here is keeping his knees bent and when closing in the short area. Is the kind of power tackler where you wonder if he's hurt the ball carrier.

Technique: As good as Jordan is, he has some technique flaws. Most notably, he'll let offensive linemen get inside him for contain. This allows linemen to work him inside into the trash, knocking him out of the play. Jordan will tend to engage only once on a blocker and not make a second move. Could do a better job of guarding his feet from blind side blocks.

Final word: Jordan has proved as a senior that his game isn't predicated on playing next to Tyson Alualu. Still, he's not the top five talent some have been purporting. What he is, though, is a very good power end with the ability to play in the 3-4. With so many teams playing a 3-4 scheme, he should hear his name called in the first round.