Jay Ward S LSU | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jay Ward S LSU
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Man-Zone Free Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/25/2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.55 seconds (56%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 24.4 DOB: 07/13/2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Man-Zone Free Safety | |
| Last Updated: 04/25/2023 | |
| Draft Year: 2023 | |
| 40 time: 4.55 seconds (56%*) | |
| Age: 24.4 DOB: 07/13/2000 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 78.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 101.6 | |
| Tackling: |
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57% |
| Run Defense: |
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74% |
| Coverage: |
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59% |
| Zone: |
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60% |
| Man/Press: |
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57% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#226
Position rank:
#40
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| College Games: 43 College Snaps: 1738 | ||
ESPN RATING: 76/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 90/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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Drafted: ROUND: 4 - Pick Number: 134 (MIN)
Draft Profile: Bio
Jay Ward attended Colquitt County High School and was rated a 4-star prospect by 247 Sports with a scout's rating of 0.900, going unranked by ESPN. Following high school, Ward opted to join LSU after being heavily recruited.In 2019 as a freshman Ward saw action in 11 games and played a total of 77 snaps at cornerback for the Tigers. He recorded just 3 tackles, no assists, while adding one stop. In coverage Ward notched up 3 pass breakups, no interceptions, and a QB rating when targetted of 93.5.
As a sophomore in 2020 he played in 9 games and logged 378 snaps for the Tigers. He made 24 tackles, 2 assists, and had 3 stops. In coverage he totaled 5 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, and QB rating when targetted of 104.3.
In 2021 as a junior Ward played in 11 games and contributed on 704 snaps. He chalked up solid 58 tackles, 15 assists, and added 13 stops. In the secondary Ward forced 2 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and gave up a disapointing QB rating when targetted of 122.6.
In 2022 as a senior Ward saw action in 12 games while playing 579 snaps. He logged 44 tackles, 6 assists, and made 18 stops. In coverage Ward had 2 pass breakups, one interception, and surrendered a QB rating when targetted of 93.2. He also chalked up 7 total pressures, and no sacks on the season
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Flashes good ball skills. Ward has the fluidity and change-of-direction ability to mirror quicker receivers underneath.
- He’s tall-framed with long arms to match. With his powerful hands, straight-line speed, and fluidity in his hips, turning and chasing downfield shouldn’t be a problem.
- Bigger hitter than his slight frame implies. Closes quickly and generates explosion.
- His ball skills are very good. Ward tracks the ball well downfield and has the hands and coordination to come away with interceptions even when Ward isn’t targeted often.
- Tracks the ball well downfield and shows good ball skills, including the ability to go up and high-point it in contested-catch situations.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Gets sloppy with his backpedal when playing off-man and seems to lack the instincts to close on the ball.
- Needs to tighten his angles in pursuit. Needs to show better tackling technique to consistently finish.
- Rght now he’s only capable of playing in trail position, and even then he’d likely be draw a lot of flags.
Jay Ward percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jay Ward (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
167.9
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
53.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.