Player: Jordan Battle
School: Alabama
Measurables:
- Height: 6’1” (NFL Combine)
- Weight: 209(NFL Combine)
- 40: 4.55 (NFL Combine)
- 10 Yard Split: 1.56 (NFL Combine)
- Bench: 17 (NFL Combine)
- Vertical Jump: 29.5” (Pro Day)
- Broad Jump: 9’6” (Pro Day)
- 3 Cone: 7.44 (Pro Day)
- 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.37 (Pro Day)
Graded Position Specific Traits:
- Field Vision: 6/10
- Range: 5.5/10
- In-The-Box Zone Coverage: 7/10
- Deep Zone Coverage: 6.5/10
- Tackling: 6/10
- Man Coverage: 7.25/10
- Run Support: 7/10
Prospect Grade: 45.25/70; 64.6%- Great starter with the potential to be top tier
Projected Draft Day: Late Round 2- Round 3
Player Comparison: Shades of Jimmie Ward
Player Summary:
When I watched a little bit of Battle’s 2021 film, in short I thought he was a pure box player who had really bad tackling. Now that I’ve had a chance to watch his 2022 tape I feel pretty good about Battle as a prospect. Whereas I saw Battle as a pure nickel player, and more specifically a role player early in his career, I feel good about Battle’s ability to be a three down player. He shows promise in some slightly inconsistent film and a lot of improvement from 2021.
The biggest issue I had with his 2021 film was his tackling. Although much improved, there are still things that worry me. Sometimes he doesn’t finish tackles simply because he just needs to learn to bring his feet with him. When he’s not leaving his feet he has a tendency to tackle high. When he hits at the waist and below he can bring players down, when he tackles high he usually needs back up to help finish. I would like to see Battle work on tackling lower; however, what I like about Battle is that when he does go high he’s usually pulling at the ball trying to take it away. There’s a ton of film of him being the second guy in on tackle and just trying to do everything he can to rip the ball out, which I love from prospects.
Coverage wise Battle can do it all: man, low zone, and deep zone. His run support was where I thought the most inconsistency came from. When he was playing rolled down in the box or in a nickel spot, I thought he was better in run support. When he was the deep safety or even in a two high look, I could see the hesitation in him to come down hill or be as aggressive in run support at times. He flashes the aggressiveness and what he’s capable of, so it’s not a matter of if he can do it, but how he can be more consistent. He is also pretty good at getting off blocks.
Battle is capable of big things, but needs to find it in him to be more consistent. Battle has three spot versatility at FS, SS, and NB. I think the team that drafts him is going to be very happy and find ways to utilize him all over the field. I think Battle would be best suited as a safety in base packages while coming down to the nickel spot in sub packages. I think you’ll get the most out of him in the box, near the line.