2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jevon Holland

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Jevon Holland, 6-1/196 Safety Oregon

Jevon Holland Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Instinctive

Fast defender

Always around the ball

Can play deep free safety

Covers up wideouts in the deep part of the field

Tthe speed to cover vertical fast receivers

Asset to defend speed receivers downfield

Good route recognition

Vision to read a quarterback’s eyes

Keeps plays in front of him

Acceleration

Burst to close

Ball hawk

Dangerous threat to pick off passes

Can play nickel corner on slot receivers

Excellent zone-coverage safety

Finds a way to take on big receivers

Competitor; gritty defender

Solid run defender

Willing tackler

Will deliver some hard hits

Gets physical

Special teams contributor

Dangerous returner

Can play on coverage units

Upside

Weaknesses:

Thinner frame

Needs to get stronger to tackle

Could struggle to avoid injuries at his size

Could struggle to hold up as a strong safety

Could have issues getting pushed around by NFL tight ends, wide receivers

Summary: It can be hard for freshmen to become instant starters and playmakers in college football. They are competing against players who are 2-3 years older and have spent more time in the strength and conditioning program for the more physically demanding level of play. Holland was an exception to the trend, becoming a star defensive back in his first season with the Ducks. He totaled five interceptions, six passes broken up and 44 tackles that seaosn. As a sophomore, he improved his tackle production to 66 while continuing to make plays in pass coverage – four interceptions and four passes broken up. He also averaged 15.3 yards per punt return in 2019. Holland then decided to sit out the shortened 2020 season rather than play as a junior.

Holland stands out on tape due to his excellent athleticism and significant speed. Thanks to his physical talents and versatility, he could potentially play some cornerback or even contribute on offense. He has a lot of physical talent to do a variety of things, but the best plan for maximizing his utility could be to keep him at safety and let him excel at his natural position.

Holland is a real weapon in pass coverage, and his ability to run with receivers excites NFL evaluators. He shows the ability to pick up his receivers downfield and blanket them in the deep part of the field. Holland is fast and has the speed to run with wideouts vertically. He is also somewhat effective at covering big receivers, although he does not have truly great height or length; he simply competes hard enough to get it done. Holland also can play nickel corner and cover man-to-man on slot receivers.

For zone coverage, Holland has good instincts and quality route-recognition. He displays good vision to read the eyes of the quarterback and sees receivers well, allowing him to pick them up when they come into his area. Holland uses his speed, vision and instincts to serve as a rangy zone safety who covers a lot of ground in the middle of the field. He has a burst to close on receivers and uses that second-gear speed to jump routes and make plays on the ball. Holland demonstrates very good ball skills and is a dangerous threat to pick off passes. He is a true ball hawk on the back end.



Holland is a willing run defender as well, using his speed to come downhill like a blur and make tackles. While Holland is not the biggest of safeties, he does not hesitate to get physical and will deliver some hard hits. He should gain some weight and tack on additional strength to tackle pro backs. Additional weight could also help him with durability.

As an added value, Holland is an excellent special teams player who was a dangerous returner and a good contributor on coverage units for Oregon. He probably won’t be the starting punt or kick returner as pro to protect him from injury, but he could contribute by returning in clutch situations or help his team close out a game if there is an injury to the primary returner. Similarly, Holland could plau on some coverage units, but it would be better to save him for the defense.

Holland is a better fit for the NFL at free safety because he is undersized, plus he can contribute as a slot corner. Even though he was durable at Oregon, he could end up having injury issues in the NFL if he is consistently the eighth man in the box against on pro linemen, tight ends, and backs in the ground game. Holland looks capable of being a difference-maker early in his NFL career and a starting free safety.

Because of size concerns, Holland looks like a potential second-day pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he could end up being a sleeper steal who returns excellent value for where he was taken.



Player Comparison: Budda Baker. Holland reminds me of Baker coming out of Washington. Both faced size concerns but were clearly natural football players with excellent instincts and the versatility to defend both phases. Baker has turned into a good NFL starter after being a second-round pick, and Holland could follow that same path as a pro.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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