Jacob Pugh, , - News, Stats, Bio

Draft Scouting Report

Draft Prospect Outlook:

Athlete playing football. Tall, somewhat slender edge-rusher with excellent hips and lateral movement. Good burst. No real plan as a pass-rusher and limited strength. Can be run-and-chase SAM linebacker.

College Recap:

Pugh went to high school about two miles away from FSU’s campus at Tallahassee Godby, where he won a state title in 2012. He also won a state title at nearby Jefferson County High the previous year. The expectation at FSU was that the four-star recruit would emerge as a plug-and-play candidate, which happened to an extent. He produced 12 tackles and two interceptions -- both against Notre Dame, including a game-sealing pick -- as a true freshman in 2014. Pugh often showed flashes of his upside, showing good burst and instincts. However, the Seminoles’ staff struggled to settle on a landing spot for the versatile defender, moving him to inside linebacker, defensive end and a hybrid outside linebacker.

He produced through four seasons (108 tackles, 7.5 sacks), but the constant shuffling between positions and the sporadic usage made it difficult for Pugh to live up to his potential. Perhaps Pugh’s best role was as a free-roaming outside linebacker, which is where he played as a junior and showed off a versatile skill set en route to totaling 43 tackles, six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Pugh fell out of the rotation as a senior, playing on about a third of FSU’s defensive snaps, and was limited to 21 tackles and one TFL. -- Brendan Sonnone