This is part of a series of scouting reports on the undrafted free agents the Steelers signed following the 2024 NFL Draft. Today, a scouting report on Michigan State LB Jacoby Windmon.
#4 JACOBY WINDMON, LB, MICHIGAN STATE (R-SENIOR) – 6006, 235 pounds
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jacoby Windmon | 6006, 235 | 9 5/8 | 32 3/8 | 76 3/4 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.65 | 1.60 | 4.40 | 7.31 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’7” | 34.5 | 16 |
Pro Day Results
THE GOOD
— Has good bulk for his frame
— Possesses adequate speed and athleticism
— Demonstrates good pursuit of the ball as a pass rusher and run defender
— Possesses a vast array of pass-rush moves
— Has a wicked ghost move to get underneath the tackle around the edge
— Uses a push/pull, two-hand swipe, and a dip/rip to win on the edge
— Can stunt inside and use athleticism to cross the blocker’s face
— Has experience playing on the edge as well as in the box
— Can drop into zone coverage in the flats effectively
— Does a good job going for the football, attempting to create turnovers
THE BAD
— Lacks great size and length for the position
— Can get locked on blocks and have a tough time disengaging
— Will get washed in the run game by bigger, longer tackles
— Lack of ideal size and length leads to issues winning around the corner consistently
— Ends up on the ground a fair amount
— Projection to off-ball linebacker at the next level doesn’t match his skill set
— Doesn’t have the fluidity to be a man coverage asset at the next level
— Projects as a bit of a tweener between edge rusher and off-ball linebacker
— One of seven Spartans charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in a fight with rival Michigan in 2022, getting suspended the rest of the season
BIO
— Redshirt Senior prospect from New Orleans, LA
— Two-star recruit according to Rivals
— Played quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, H-back and defensive line in high school
— Also played basketball as a prep athlete
— Human Development and Family Studies major
— Committed to UNLV out of high school and saw 131 defensive snaps in 2019 and made 12 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and a pass breakup
— Started all six games in 2020 and made 39 total tackles (24 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups
— Started all 12 games in 2021 and made 119 total tackles (73 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass breakup
— Transferred to Michigan State in 2022 and started eight games and made 49 total tackles (18 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, and two pass breakups
— Started three games in 2023 before missing the rest of the season with a pectoral injury and posted 15 total tackles (five solo), two tackles for loss, and a sack
— Second-team All-Mountain West (2021), honorable mention All-Mountain West (2020)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Jacoby Windmon is a player who grabbed national attention after his breakout season in 2021 at UNLV, opting to transfer to Michigan State, where he was on a tear to start the 2022 season, recording 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in his first three games. However, Windmon’s bright flame had a quick burn as he plateaued throughout the rest of the season, ultimately getting suspended after eight games played after the infamous tunnel fight with rival Michigan. Windmon would get cleared of all charges and return for his redshirt senior season in 2023 but would be held to just three games played after suffering a pectoral injury that cut short his final season in East Lansing.
When you pop in the tape on Windmon, there is plenty to get excited about regarding the linebacker’s 2022 tape. He was on a tear against Western Michigan and Akron to start the season, logging all of his sacks on the year in just the first two games. He flashes moments of brilliance as a pass rusher, winning with finesse around the edge.
Watch below as Windmon wins with a two-hand swipe as he dips around the edge of the left tackle on the first clip, catching the scrambling quarterback from behind as he wins into the pocket. In the second clip, watch Windmon execute the ghost move to perfection, dipping right under the left tackle to get into the pocket and get the sack strip fumble, getting the ball himself to secure the turnover.
Windmon’s effort in pursuit as a pass rusher also shows up on tape as the defender possesses a motor that’s running hot, relentlessly fighting around and through blocks to get to the ball. Check out this play against Western Michigan where Windmon initially gets held up on a double team but continues to fight to get off the block, finding the scrambling quarterback in the open field and taking him down for the sack on the extended play.
He shows great pursuit to the football both as a pass rusher as well as a run defender, doing his best to close on the football and make the tackle like on this quick screen pass against Ohio State back in 2022, fighting off the block to run down the running back from behind after making the catch to hold the receiver to minimal gain.
As shown above, Windmon has a knack for going for the football, attempting to knock it out. He had six forced fumbles in eight games in 2022 and nine forced fumbles from 2020-2022, having the awareness to intentionally go for the strip on the tackle attempt. We see that in play here against Wisconsin with Windmon lined up as an off-ball linebacker, coming downhill to fill the hole as he strips the ball away from RB Braelon Allen on the tackle attempt, forcing the turnover that a teammate recovers.
Windmon has also shown that he is competent at dropping into zone coverage in the flats and playing space, having that tweener build as an EDGE/off-ball linebacker hybrid. He managed to get an interception in the same game against the Badgers, getting on his horse to recover against the tight end, going out on a route toward the sideline, stepping in front of the pass for the pick.
Windmon has his warts as a player, lacking ideal size and length as more of a tweener body that may be too small to play on the edge at the next level but isn’t fluid enough to consistently play in the box. His lack of size leads to him getting stuck on blocks a lot against the run, getting washed in the running game against bigger, longer offensive tackles, as you can see in the clips below where Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones control Windmon throughout the entire rep.
CONCLUSION
Jacoby Windmon is a toolsy player who has the pass rush repertoire that you desire in an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense at the next level. He has a knack for forcing turnovers and has plenty of tools in his toolbox that he can rotate to throw off opposing blockers in pass protection.
However, his lack of ideal size makes him less of a clean fit at that position in Pittsburgh, often being a liability against the run while needing to refine his pass rush to more consistently win the corner. Windmon will have to bulk up and improve his power rush to stick on the edge in the league, likely cutting his teeth on special teams as he looks to earn Pittsburgh’s OLB4 spot as a depth/rotational pass rusher or as a practice squad player during his rookie season.
Depot Grade: 6.0 — Priority Free Agent
Games Watched: vs Western Michigan (2022), vs Ohio State (2022), vs Wisconsin (2022)
