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Josh Jobe NFL Draft Profile
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Josh Jobe Scouting ReportThere’s a certain combination of athleticism and length that scouts routinely seek out at the cornerback position. Jobe has that combination. Standing at 6'1", 192 pounds, Jobe has a well-built frame and elite length. His use of that length is incredibly consumptive. That can be a problem at times, as we’ll get into later. Nevertheless, Jobe’s disruption potential is extremely high because of his wingspan. Jobe compounds his size with impressive athletic talent. The Alabama CB possesses terrific explosiveness, and he’s also fairly fluid and brisk with his hip turns. Jobe has excellent hip fluidity for his size, which allows him to mirror receivers downfield and recover quickly from stemming at the line. Furthermore, his closing burst shows up at the catch point, where he’s able to negate space quickly and make plays on the ball. He’s also dangerous as a pass rusher. On top of his size and explosiveness, Jobe’s long speed appears to be good enough for the cornerback position. He might not be a blazer who runs a sub-4.4, but he has enough long speed to track receivers downfield and stay in range to contend passes with his length. |
Areas for ImprovementJobe has superb athleticism, length, and competitive toughness. Those are three of the most important boxes to check for defensive backs. Beyond that, however, the Alabama CB has much room for refinement. Compared to other cornerback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft Jobe is somewhat raw and underdeveloped. He can improve his mechanics, both in his upper and lower body. In his upper body, Jobe’s hand usage is a bit of a concern. His fiercely competitive nature is appealing on its own, but it can lead to over-emphatic use and penalties. Furthermore, Jobe’s grabbiness can get him in trouble, both at the line and at the catch. If he doesn’t draw yellow flags, he can at times sacrifice his own balance by trying to do too much at the contact point. Going further with Jobe’s balance, his footwork and timing can improve as well. The Alabama CB’s feet can be a bit choppy, and this affects his efficiency of motion. He doesn’t always get low enough in his stance, and he can get flat-footed when breaking back toward in-breaking routes. His responsiveness can also be inconsistent in these situations. |
Josh Jobe Career at AlabamaJobe was able to see the field as a true freshman, but he didn’t see much time on the defensive side of the ball. Regardless, Jobe was able to make a name for himself as an impressive special-teams player. Playing in all 14 games, Jobe logged 8 tackles and put up a pass deflection in his limited defensive action. In 2019, Jobe saw a slight uptick in production, providing value both on special teams and defense. Jobe generated an interception and 3 pass deflections in 2019, but his best year would be 2020. As a true junior, Jobe became a full-time starter opposite Surtain, and he flourished in that role. The Alabama CB amassed 55 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 11 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles. Jobe led his team in pass deflections in 2020, and the advanced stats are even more impressive. With the highest target share among Alabama CBs, Jobe allowed just 3.3 yards per target, 1.1 yards per target on explosive routes, and 2.8 yards per target in man coverage, per CFB Film Room.. |
Josh Jobe NFL Draft Player ProfileWhen you think about the hard or impossible traits to develop at the cornerback position, you think of athleticism, length, competitive toughness, and fluidity. Jobe checks most, if not all, of these boxes comfortably. The physical and mental foundation is incredibly enticing. With another year at Alabama, Jobe could ultimately expand on his foundation and strengthen his scouting report. Having said all this, Jobe has some work to do before he’s a consensus first-round prospect. Although he’s extremely talented, he’s a bit unhinged with his movement skills and hand usage. That’s not to say he’s a total project; he’s not. There are flashes of excellent leveraging downfield, and Jobe has shown he can lower his hips and maintain balance through direction changes. Additionally, outside of his penalties, he truly doesn’t let many big plays by. As of now, however, Jobe is a Day 2 prospect. If he can further refine his game and fill the void left by Surtain, he could make a similar leap to Round 1. The best part of Jobe’s profile isn’t his length or athleticism — it’s his attitude. In this sense, the Alabama CB is not dissimilar from the first cornerback off the board in 2021. Much like Jaycee Horn, who leveraged his success at South Carolina into a top-10 selection, Jobe is an all-out competitor who isn’t scared of anyone. Jobe is incredibly chippy and tenacious, and his energy on the defensive side of the ball is palpable. That energy trickles into other parts of his game as well. As a tackler, Jobe plays with stellar play pace, and he proactively uses his length and density to wrap up ball carriers. With his explosiveness and all-out mentality, he can deliver some surprisingly jarring hits. And as a coverage defender, he spares no effort in reaching for passes — using his length to impact the ball. Jobe is a fighter. He’s extremely physical, and his mentality is one of ultimate resolve. While this mindset can lead to recklessness, it’s hard to teach the alpha mentality. Some cornerbacks have it, while others don’t. In short, Jobe has it. |
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