2025 NFL Scouting Report: Jeffrey Bassa

Prospect Summary:

Bassa started out his time in college playing safety before moving to linebacker. In 2021, he saw his first playing time, making seven starts and totaling 48 tackles in his debut. As a sophomore, he had 62 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions while starting nine contests. In 2023, Bassa had 72 tackles before recording 54 tackles as a senior. While Bassa is adept in pass coverage, he surprisingly only had three interceptions and four passes broken up in his collegiate career.

For the NFL, Bassa’s biggest strength is his pass coverage, and his safety background is evident in how well Bassa covers. Bassa is athletic and quick in zone coverage, covering a lot of ground and picking up receivers that run into his territory. He is skilled in closing ground and reading routes. While Bassa is good in zone, he shows an impressive ability to cover in man. Bassa is adept at running with backs and tight ends to keep them from getting separated. He runs with receivers and is capable of keeping them from getting open.

As a run defender, Bassa is best in pursuit, running after and chasing down backs. He lacks some size, strength, and physicality in the tackle box. Bassa is not a physical take on linebacker, but he can run and uses his athleticism to work through trash. He needs to improve his ability to read his keys, and he is not overly instinctive as a run defender. Bassa is not a tackling machine and is not a standout in his run-defense ability. He would be better served lining up next to a power inside linebacker and a large defensive line that keeps blockers off of him. As a pro, Bassa would be best as a Will (weakside) linebacker rather than playing the Mike (middle) linebacker. Bassa is a great communicator pre-snap and is excellent at getting his teammates lined up correctly.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, Bassa could be a day-two pick that turns into a solid starting Will linebacker at the NFL level.