Kansas City Chiefs National Scout Jonathan Howard on LB Jeffrey Bassa
Kansas City Chiefs National Scout Jonathan Howard on LB Jeffrey Bassa
During his press conference during draft weekend, Kansas City Chiefs National Scout Jonathan Howard shared his thoughts on fifth-round draft pick Jeffrey Bassa's transition from safety to linebacker.
"It's part of his (Jeffrey Bassa) story. This guy comes there, he was a high school receiver and DB, comes there as a true freshman into an Oregon program that – I mean, you guys see, this team's on primetime every Saturday – and somehow works his way into the rotation despite moving to linebacker during training camp into September of his freshman season." said Howard, "That's a linebacker room that had multiple NFL prospects in there, so, for this kid to work his way into that rotation – as a true freshman – just talks about his confidence, his athleticism (and) his ability to handle transition."
Bassa was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference last season with the Oregon Ducks and played in all 14 games, starting in 12. He finished with 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
"So, not just to the coverage part, just to the overall kid, that tells you the type of guy we're getting here and why we would feel comfortable with him transitioning here and being able to handle our load," said Howard, "There's a mental aspect to that coverage part, too. This is a very smart player; they talk about that there. That defense they run, it was pretty complex, there's a lot of multitude, a lot of multiples that they are responsible for, and this kid had some of that on his plate. So, when it comes to the coverage aspect and what (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve) Spagnuolo does – and we know how intense that is – this kid will be able to handle that. He'll be able to do that part mentally and athletically."
Bassa could be an essential defensive utility player who can step into several roles. The scouting department values his versatility and ability to play linebacker at the next level.
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