Darnell Jefferies DL Minnesota | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Darnell Jefferies DL Minnesota
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 5.09 seconds (26%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 5.09 seconds (26%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: |
43.5 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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61% |
| Pass Rush: |
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47% |
| Run Defense: |
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52% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#908
Position rank:
#55
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| College Games: 45 College Snaps: 426 | ||
ESPN RATING: 80/100
College Combine Results
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OVR Rank:
#149
Pos Rank:
#23
State Rank:
#39
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 88/100
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| Ovr Rank: #560 Pos Rank: #42 | ||
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RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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| Jack Daly - Florida International |
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73% |
| D.J. Davidson - Arizona State |
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68% |
| Chris Turner - Missouri |
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67% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Darnell Jefferies from Newton High School was rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 3-star grade by 247 Sports. After high school, Jefferies joined Clemson after being heavily recruited.In 2018 as a freshman Jefferies saw action in just one game and played a total of 2 snaps for the Tigers. He recorded no tackles, no assists, while adding no stops.
As a sophomore for the Tigers in 2019 Jefferies played in 13 games and took part in 116 snaps for the Tigers. He recorded only 6 tackles, 2 assists, while adding 6 stops.
In 2020 as a junior Jefferies played in 7 games and contributed on 50 snaps. He recorded only 4 tackles, no assists while making 4 stops.
In 2021 as a senior Jefferies logged playing time in 5 games and logged a total of 25 snaps for the Tigers. He also added no tackles, one assist, and no stops. As a pass rusher, he tallied 3 total pressures, which included 3 QB hurries, no QB hits, and no sacks on the season.
After season's end Jefferies transferred to Minnesota where as a fifth year senior for the Golden Gophers in 2022 Jefferies played 12 games and took part in 151 snaps for the Golden Gophers. He also added only 3 tackles, one assist, and 2 stops. As a pass rusher, he tallied 5 total pressures, which included 5 QB hurries, no QB hits, and no sacks on the season.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Jefferies is strong enough in the lower body to hold up at the point of attack, and Jefferies displays a good feel as a grappler in the phone booth, consistently getting blockers off-balance before sending them to the ground.
- His motor is excellent, and he’s quick to locate the ball and make plays against the run.
- Jefferies shows impressive burst and enough quickness to occasionally threaten the edge as a pass rusher.
- Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either side with strong hands.
- Played with good leverage, even on the nose, despite average bulk. Hustle defender with a good bull rush inside that can close and get home when quarterbacks leave the pocket.
- His spin move is already NFL-caliber, and he displays a very good motor.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- He’s a straight-line mover who doesn’t have the range to chase in pursuit.
- His pass rush moves need refinement, and Jefferies doesn’t have a lot of range in coverage.
- His spin move is a bit slow and mechanical. He’s susceptible to cut blocks, a tactic that was used on him often
Darnell Jefferies percentiles vs other Defensive Lines (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Darnell Jefferies (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
142.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.