It’s the most recognizable measurement in any NFL combine, and if you go by the 40-yard dash, Josey Jewell does not impress.
He ran a plodding 4.82 in March.
But when you throw on the film of the Iowa linebacker, it becomes much more difficult to find flaws.
As the Patriots look to bolster a unit that struggled with injuries and poor performance at times last season, they could go in the direction of surefire first-round talents including Alabama’s Rashaan Evans or Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch.
However, if the Pats decide to wait another round or two, they could do a whole lot worse than the first three-time captain in Hawkeyes history.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was an assistant with Patriots coach Bill Belichick when the latter led the Cleveland Browns. Ferentz’ son, James, is an offensive lineman with the Pats, as is fellow former Hawkeye Cole Croston. Brian Ferentz was an assistant with the Pats, as well, before taking the offensive coordinator position under his father.
But Jewell’s intrigue goes deeper.
For one, his production at Iowa was tremendous. Jewell totaled at least 124 tackles in each of his final three years, including 13.5 for loss as a senior.
“I think a big part about being a good defensive player, and I’d say that about Josey, is you’ve got to want to get there,” Kirk Ferentz said. “It’s got to be in your makeup. I think that’s one of Josey’s strongest attributes. He’s a guy who’s a smart player. He sees things. He’s got really good vision, good reactions, all those kinds of things. He prepares going into situations. He plays faster than his 40 time is.
“But the bottom line is when he’s on the field his goal is to get to the ball and tackle the guy. That’s where defense starts in my mind. It sounds pretty basic, but some guys do it better than others, and he is one of those guys who does it really well.”
Ferentz shrugs off the slow 40, and said Iowa doesn’t even run them to test its players.
“We time their 10s,” Ferentz said. “That, to me, is more indicative of what a guy has to do on a play.”
The Pats might feel the same way, as they covet players who perform well in the 3-cone drill. Jewell’s time of 6.8 seconds ranked among the best at his position.
Still, that is also just a test. Jewell’s strengths become even more apparent when the pads go on.
His recognition skills are elite, as it almost seems like Jewell knows the offense’s plays before they’re run. One would expect his lack of straight-line speed would hinder him in coverage, but Jewell excels at zone drops and passing off men on crossing routes, among other things.
In other words, if you’re going to beat Jewell, you’ll have to do it physically, not mentally.
“There’s no question he knows what it is to prepare,” Ferentz said. “He gets that. Sometimes that’s what a player learns as he gets older with more experience. He had an appreciation for that from the start. But I do think some guys see things a little better than others at all positions. . . . The ability to react and diagnose and draw up on his preparation, that’s there.”
On top of everything else, Jewell has that underdog streak in him Belichick loves. Ferentz said Jewell almost didn’t get an offer out of high school and the linebacker nearly ended up at a Division 3 school.
But in the end, Jewell became the most decorated leader in program history, 40 time be damned.
“The leadership and the focus,” Ferentz said, “that’s a little bit on the unusual, rare side.”
