Summary

Jamal Adams was selected in Round 1 (#6 Overall) in the 2017 Draft out of Louisiana State University (LSU). Adams is a rare defender in modern football — someone who can hit like a linebacker, cover like a defensive back, and blitz like a linebacker or edge. His mix of physicality, instinct, and versatility makes him incredibly valuable. The biggest risks are over-aggression, coverage miscues, and injuries. But when used well, he is one of the most dangerous and disruptive safeties in the game.

Strengths

• Physicality & Plow-Through Tackling: Adams is a downhill hitter who brings violence into run defense. He plays with a linebacker mentality, shooting through gaps to punish ball-carriers.

• Versatile Playmaking Skill Set: He has the ability to line up in multiple roles — strong safety, box defender, and roving centerfielder — making him a real multi-dimension asset. NFL.com

• High Football IQ & Leadership: Adams was often seen as the “quarterback of the secondary” at LSU. He makes pre-snap reads, aligns teammates, and has a vocal, leadership presence. SI

• Excellent Ball Skills: With good instincts, Adams can track the ball, make interceptions, and break up passes.

• Improved Speed: Though his 40-yard dash at the Combine (4.56) was average, Adams ran a faster 4.45 at his pro day, improving perceptions of his athletic upside. NFL.com

Weaknesses

• Over-Aggression Can Be a Liability: His instinct to make plays and attack downhill can lead him to overcommit, exposing him to misdirection or play-action schemes. NFL.com

• Top-End Deep Range Questioned: Some question of his ability to consistently recover in deep coverage, particularly against long-speed receivers. SI

• Tackling Technique in Space: While a strong tackler overall, there were concerns about his form in open-field or pursuit scenarios — sometimes missing wrap-ups or using less-than-ideal angles.

• Coverage Transition Fluidity: When asked to mirror fast receivers or transition quickly from run support to pass coverage, his change-of-direction isn’t always smooth. SI

• Durability / Usage Risk: Given his high-effort, high-collision style, teams may worry about long-term wear and potential injury risk. Gang Green Nation

Fit & Outlook

Adams is best suited for a defensive scheme that values a hybrid strong-safety / box-safety role — one that leans on his physicality and playmaking more than demanding him to be a pure center-fielder. For the first time in his career, Adams is being asked to play more of a traditional linebacker role in Patrick Graham’s defense in Las Vegas. He thrives in systems that call for safeties to come down, play near the line, help set the edge against the run, and contribute in blitz packages. Teams that rely heavily on rotating safeties, using pattern-matching coverages, and designing sub-packages where Adams can roam will likely maximize his strengths. Adams’ floor is that of a rotational niche defender someone who brings energy, tackles like a linebacker, and contributes in coverage splashes. Although he will never reach the tantalizing ceiling for which he was selected in the top 10 of the draft (potential to be a game-changing defensive anchor who can influence all three phases (run, pass, turnover) for a long time), he can still carve out an effective, yet humbling, role for himself in the right system and coaching. The key to his long-term success will be managing his usage to mitigate wear, refining his spatial coverage technique, and keeping him in a scheme that fully utilizes his unique blend of skills.