2016 Buccaneers’ Draft Profile: LB Myles Jack
By Brian DeFeo
Odds are he’s not there but what would the Buccaneers do if Myles Jack fell to number nine?
Myles Jack is a top-3 prospect in this years draft coming out of UCLA. After a season ending knee injury Jack is still highly touted as the top linebacker in this class. I know this scenario is highly unlikely to occur but stranger things have happened in the draft. What were the odds that Warren Sapp would fall to Tampa in the 1995 draft? The Buccaneers already have two quality linebackers and have more pressing needs, but if Jack were to fall to nine he may be too talented to pass up.
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Jack, being super athletic, started out playing running back in high school but he converted to linebacker. A four-star recruit coming out of high school, he chose to play college ball at UCLA. While in college he recorded the second most tackles in UCLA freshman history. He also started one game as a running back due to multiple injuries. Jack played extremely well at running back, averaging seven yards per carry, and holds the UCLA freshman record for four rushing touchdowns in a single.
He was named PAC-12 conference Offensive AND Defensive freshman of the year. During his sophomore season, he didn’t see as many touches on offense but played extremely well at linebacker, earning his second consecutive All-PAC-12 second-team honors. Jack only played three games his junior year before tearing his meniscus in practice. He decided to withdraw from school to focus on rehabbing and playing at the next level.
Jack did attend the 2016 NFL combine but did very little. He did not run the 40 yard dash or do any linebacker drills, instead just being measured and performing the bench press, 19 reps. At 6’1″, 245 pounds, he doesn’t have “prototypical” linebacker measurables, but he isn’t your average linebacker.
At UCLA’s pro day on March 15th, he recorded a 40 inch vertical and 10 foot 4 inch broad jump. At the pro day he said his knee was at 80%. There were reports that he would have a personal pro day on April 1st but he decided against it. It’s likely he could run 40 yard dashes in private workouts if needed. The meniscus is going to be rechecked April 14th in Indy but he has shown that he’s almost there and that shouldn’t scare teams away from drafting him early.
How would Myles fit in with Tampa is the main question you’d ask if he was there at nine. Simple, he’s an athlete that makes plays, get him on the field anyway possible. At the combine he stated that he feels he could play a Kam Chancellor type role, which is exactly what the Bucs could use. Jack is fast and big enough to cover running backs, tight ends, and even slot receivers. If Mike Smith has the opportunity to draft Myles Jack with the 9th overall pick, he should do so immediately.
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Imagine a linebacker group of Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, and Myles Jack. The entire middle of the field would be covered with all that speed and fantastic tackling ability. The Bucs could trade down if Jack is there and could receive a sizable return, but Jack is way too talented to pass up on. Again the scenario of him being there is highly unlikely, but still fun to think about.