Breaking down Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick: LB Jack Kiser

USA Today

02-05-2025

Breaking down Jacksonville Jaguars' fourth-round pick: LB Jack Kiser In the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser. Let's break down the pick.
In the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser.
Let's break down the pick, and if you missed our other recaps, you can find them below.
Jack Kiser's profile
Height: 6-015
Weight: 231
Age: 24
College profile
Breaking down the Jacksonville Jaguars' pick
Kiser spent six seasons at Notre Dame, which included being a rotational defender for three years from 2021 through 2023 and then becoming a starter in 2024, where he was also a team captain.
Throughout his career, Kiser has shown to be a very reliable tackler, missing only 4.6% of his career attempts. For some context, anything under 10% with that sample size is considered quite good. This, in turn, helped make him a reliable run defender.
Among qualified linebackers in 2024, Kiser ranked 15th in PFF's run defense grade and had the 10th most tackles in the run game as well. We also saw Kiser find some success as a blitzer, totaling 18 pressures last season.
In coverage, Kiser can operate in space and has allowed a completion rate of 67% this past year, with his tackling ability helping to limit YAC opportunities for pass catchers. He has one interception and two pass breakups over the last two seasons.
With the Jaguars having an established linebacker room, Kiser doesn't have to step in and start right away. Perhaps he can carve out a situational role, but his biggest impact as a rookie could come on special teams, where he has nearly 1,000 career snaps at Notre Dame.
Jack Kiser's scouting report
NFL.com
Lance Zierlein: "Sixth-year senior with good football intelligence and immediate four-phase special teams value. Kiser will be a 25-year-old rookie in September, with average physical attributes, but he's productive and consistent. He understands his limitations and works around them with instincts and positioning, but a lack of speed and length will create smaller margins for error as a pro. He struggles to take on and get off blocks, so he'll have to take a few more chances moving forward. Kiser's ability to play on third down and special teams boosts his chances of becoming a backup inside linebacker."
They said it
James Gladstone: "Many [players] are tapping out before they ever get to the game," Gladstone said of the Senior Bowl. "To see somebody like Jack Kiser opt in to playing a position like safety when he is, in fact, an inside linebacker, when that could make him look worse than he would like, but was productive in that setting."
Jack Kiser's RAS card
Highlights