The Chicago Bears drafted Jaquan Brisker with their second-round pick, 48th overall. The consensus opinion from fans appears to be that they are excited about Brisker the talent but disappointed in the position that the team chose. Still, it is obvious that the Bears stuck to their board instead of reaching for someone just because of need.
With that in mind, we have to grade the player and not the thought of what else could have been. What are the most important things to know about safety Jaquan Brisker?
5. Jaquan Brisker Snaps and alignment
Brisker has been at Penn State for the past three years and has made 21 starts in that span. He wound up playing 1,744 snaps during his career for the Nittany Lions. That includes 742 against the run and 1,002 snaps in coverage.
As a safety, Brisker does move all around the backend. Still, at Penn State, he was much more of a box safety than anything else. He spent 59% of his snaps in the box with 20% of his snaps in the deep field role, and 20% of his snaps in the slot.
Considering his snaps in the slot could possibly be considered the box as well in situations where he was flexed out, it is easy to say what role he will have with the Chicago Bears.
Jaquan Brisker is going to be a box safety. That is best for the Bears because Eddie Jackson is at his best the further away from the box that he can play. The Bears had so many injuries last season that Jackson was in the box far more than he is comfortable with and it led to his worst season by far.
Now, they will get him back to where he is comfortable and it should be a huge win for the Chicago Bears.
4. Jaquan Brisker matured from JUCO
The background, and person that Jaquan Brisker seems to be a part of what made him. Brisker grew up in a hotbed for football in Western Pennsylvania, but he did not get Division One offers because he himself admitted that he did not take academics seriously enough.
Brisker had to play JUCO for two seasons, and while he was elite on the field, the experience was necessary for Brisker because it helped him get his off-field life straight. From there, Brisker came to Penn State and became a leader on and off of the field.
Brisker was a team captain last season and All-Big 10 performer. Still, he also made sure to return to PSU last year to graduate with a degree in communications. Penn State coaches rave about his leadership, and Ryan Poles said that he has a mindset of Super Bowls over individual accolades.
Brisker noted he was immature in high school, and the lack of high-profile college attention opened his eyes to a harsh reality. Now, the Chicago Bears have a leader with a clean past.
3. Jaquan Brisker Coverage Stats
While Brisker primarily was in the box he is a bit more experienced in coverage than the ground game. He was targeted 56 times over his career and allowed 33 completions. His career completion rate allowed is 58..9%, but last season that was down to 57.1
He has allowed 378 yards, which amounts to 6.8 yards per attempt, and 11.5 yards per reception. The yards per attempt is not an issue, but he does appear to give up a few too many yards after the catch.
Still, the yards per attempt is down because he does a great job getting his hands on the football. Brisker has 19 pass breakups and was third in the nation in the forced incompletion rate.
Brisker also had five interceptions, which allowed just one touchdown. The yards after the catch may come here and there, but Brisker is getting his hands on the ball at an insanely high rate, and it improves his coverage stats to where he looks very dependable in this area.
2. Jaquan Brisker Run Defense
According to PFF, Brisker ranked 26th in run stops, which is a great number. He also has 10 tackles for loss, which is very impressive for safety, no matter where he lines up. Brisker is never afraid to stick his head and get dirty in the run game. One area that will be looked into is his tackling, though.
Brisker had a 13.5% missed tackle rate. That was 91st in the country and worse than Eddie Jackson last year. His average depth of tackle is also 7.4 yards downfield, which ranks 225th. That is not what you want to see, either.
There is a bit of explanation for this. Brisker hardly missed tackles in 2020 and was much better in all areas. He had a bad shoulder in 2021, but played through it knowing that it was his last season with the Nittany Lions. It did not hurt him further, but the tackling form took a hit.
The Bears have to make sure he gets his form back in line and adds more shoulder into his hits, but if that can happen, his 2020 version would not be an issue.
1. Jaquan Brisker Athleticsm
According to Relative Athletic Scores, Jaquan Brisker is in the 91st percentile when it comes to athleticism. Below you can see his mockdraftable web, which compares his testing numbers to previous players at past NFL combines.
Brisker is a bit thin, but passes as above average in almost all other areas. Brisker had a great 40-yard dash time, and his broad jump showed a powerful lower half.
Brisker did not do agility drills at the NFL combine but did compete at his Pro Day. His 6.91 3-cone was in the 79.5% and his 4.19 shuttle was the 78.2%. The drills are important for safety play because it shows an ability to sink your hips and change directions.
Being above average compared to past safeties in all areas shows that he checks the physical boxes and has what it takes to be an athletic safety who can make plays in the NFL.