From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Marshall safety J.J. Roberts.
#11 J.J. ROBERTS/S MARSHALL – 5110, 192 pounds (Redshirt Senior)
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| J.J. Roberts | 5110/192 | 8 7/8 | 31 1/2 | 75 1/2 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.43 | 1.46 | 4.11 | 6.76 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’6” | 40.5 | 20 |
The Good
— Solid size and length
— Impressive testing, especially vertical and bench press
— Experience playing corner and safety
— Has played in zone and man coverages
— Quick trigger coming downhill
— Good ball skills; gets his hands in the catch basket
— Solid range from the deep safety
— Looked more confident/comfortable as outside corner
— Good tackler near LOS and when staying inside the ball on outside runs
— Looked more confident/comfortable as outside corner
The Bad
— Focused on QB in underneath zone; loses routes runners behind him
— Play strength is adequate and marginal disengaging from blocks
— High cut/long legs limit his transition speed
— Angles outside coming downhill are inconsistent
— Timing when tackling varies, leading to misses
— Marginal jam in press coverage
— Losses speed with locating ball on deep throws
— Physical receivers will win at the catch point
Bio
— Career: 213 tackles, 120 solo, 6 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INT for 9 yards, 25 PBU, 5 FF, 1 blocked FG
— 2024: 94 tackles, 50 solo, 5 TFL, 1 sack, 14 PBU, 1 FF, 1 blocked FG
— 55 games/23 at Marshall
— 2020: 2022 at Wake Forest; 2023-2024 at Marshall
— 2024 First team All-Sun Belt
— Led Sun Belt conference in pass break ups in 2024
— 2024 College Football Network All-American Honorable Mention
— Missed three games in 2023 (broken toe)
— 2025 Hula Bowl invitee
Tape Breakdown
J.J. Roberts is a defensive back with solid height and adequate weight for the safety position. He has solid arm length and hand size. He has good speed and athleticism and experience playing safety and corner.
Against the pass, when playing safety, he aligned to the field side of the formation, generally as the split or single high safety. Playing in a variety of deep zone coverage, he gets good depth and has solid range from the single safety look and good from the split safety look.
He was solid as the robber coming downhill to take away the intermediate-level throws and had solid awareness of route combinations overall. Also, in the matchup zone underneath him, he was solid mirroring the receiver. On screens, he plays under control and has solid hand placement when taking on blocks. He flows to the ball well and tackles well when he stays inside the ball.
Pass breakups in zone coverage.
He can get downhill in a hurry against the passing game.
At Wake Forest, he played right cornerback in man and zone coverages. Primarily, he played in an off-man look and displayed a smooth back pedal, solid click and close, and speed to run with the deep route. He has very good aggressiveness and ball skills when it comes to breaking up the passes, always making a play on the ball. In zone, he got good depth and was aware of his area. He looked comfortable reading the quarterback and breaking into the ball from the underneath area.
A few pass breakups from man coverage.
Against the run, when near the line of scrimmage, he plays under control, takes solid angles, and is a wrap-up tackler as a willing run supporter. He doesn’t panic in space as the last line of defense and solid takes down the runner. Coming downhill, he can get there in a flash to cut down ball carriers before they get started.
Roberts does his part to take down the running backs.
When playing in the underneath zone, he focuses heavily on the quarterback, making him adequate at recognizing receivers coming through his area behind him. He is marginal when disengaging from blocks and taking on the blocks too high. He is high cut and long-legged, slowing his transition on his turns. His angles to the outside when coming downhill versus the run or pass are marginally inconsistent. Some are too shallow, letting the runner by, while others are too deep, allowing the cut back. His tackling in space is adequate. He will dive too soon and too low, allowing the ball carrier to slip by him.
Starting his tackle too early and poor angles led to misses while tackling.
When playing press coverage, his jam was marginal, his transition opening his hips was adequate, and physical receivers could out-muscle him at the catch point. Also, he loses speed when he turns to look for the ball on deep throws.
Missing with the jam and slowing when looking for the ball were part of his issues in man coverage.
Conclusion
Overall, Roberts has good speed, athleticism, and solid size. He has experience playing in man and zone coverage, both as a safety and an outside corner. In zone, he plays with good depth, solid awareness, and range with solid instincts as the robber. At corner, he played mostly in off-man or zone coverage, was good with his click and close, and made a good effort to get his hands on the ball. He is a willing run defender, gets downhill quickly, and is a good tackler when he takes good angles.
Areas to improve include his angles when coming downhill, disengaging from blocks, and awareness of receivers behind him in shallow zone coverage. Improving his timing when tackling in space, adding play strength, and keeping his speed on deep routes will also help him.
Roberts has lots of experience and tested extremely well, especially in the explosion numbers (bench, broad jump, vertical jump). His experience at safety and corner is very valuable, and he has good special teams potential. I felt he looked more comfortable as a corner and would fit best in a zone-heavy system. If he earns a roster spot, he could initially work on nickel/dime defenses and special teams.
For a player comp, I will give you Chase Lucas. He is of similar size and athletic traits with good ball skills. He is also a fit for off-coverage, allowing him to use his instincts coming downhill, but he needs to add play strength and improve his tackling angles.
Projection: Late Day Three/UDFA
Depot Draft Grade: 6.3 – Sixth/7th Round – End of Roster/Practice Squad
Games Watched: 2022 – Vs Clemson, Vs North Carolina; 2024 – At Virginia Tech, At Ohio State, At Georgia Southern, Vs Georgia State
