Philadelphia Eagles take a gamble on safety-turned-LB JaCoby Stevens

A 5-star recruit coming out high school, new Philadelphia Eagles linebacker(?)  JaCoby Stevens can best be described as a “tweener.” He’s not big enough to be a proper off-ball linebacker, and he wasn’t good enough in zone coverage at LSU to be considered a high-ranking safety prospect.

With that said, the Eagles front office loves themselves some versatility when it comes to their defense, and recently hired defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has a history of developing players past their initial projection.

A four-year athlete at LSU, Stevens actually entered college seeing reps at safety and wide receiver, before eventually making the full-time switch to the defensive side of the ball. Upon making that commitment, Stevens was a pretty productive defender for the Tigers’ defense.

Across 34 total games at LSU (playing safety), Stevens recorded 190 total tackles, 21.5 TFLs, 4 interceptions, and 15 passes defensed. He played a key role during the team’s 2019 National Championship run, nearly breaking triple-digit tackles on the season.

Despite his eye-popping college numbers, it’s worth noting that pre-draft projections have him pinned as a player who might struggle to find a role in the NFL. His ability to drop back into coverage restricts what he can do as a pure safety, and his lower bodyweight (212lbs!) would make it hard for him to excel in a pure linebacking role.

However, it’s even more worth noting that the Philadelphia Eagles did in fact announce the draft pick with Stevens listed as a linebacker:

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles got themselves a new “project” linebacker in JaCoby Stevens.

Nate Gerry is a pretty good “comp” for what Howie Roseman and the Eagles are trying to recreate here, which is a concept that fans are going to have mixed opinions on. While Gerry undoubtedly played above his Day 3 value when it was all said and done, his final season in Philly was a downright disaster.

It’s possible that Stevens – having played in the SEC – is a little better prepared for a move to linebacker, but it’s definitely a gamble. At least during his rookie season, it’s likely that Stevens will have to settle for a special teams role most Sundays as he continues to develop and put on weight.

Selected at the back-end of the sixth round, gambling on someone like Stevens isn’t necessarily something that should be frowned upon. These picks aren’t really worth anything, and if Stevens is able to successfully add 15+ lbs to his frame, he could very well develop into a serviceable outside linebacker.

If the gamble doesn’t pan out, the Eagles still have guys like Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley, and TJ Edwards to fall back on when it comes to filling out their LB depth chart.

It’s also not out of the realm of possibility that the Eagles brought in Stevens solely to “compete” for a roster spot come training camp – someone to push the likes of Bradley and Edwards in practice. It’s worth highlighting that the final two picks from Philly’s 2020 draft class aren’t with the roster anymore – I wouldn’t rule out a similar fate for Stevens should he struggle transitioning to linebacker during the summer.