Film Watched: Virginia 2021, Virginia Tech 2021, Syracuse 2020
Pro's:
Cerebral linebacker who plays with a good feel for the game
Instinctive; knows what’s about to unfold and prepares himself accordingly
Hustles to the football, but not recklessly so – doesn’t leave himself exposed to backside cuts
Plays with a high motor and will chase down plays all day long
Has the range to reach plays that flow to the opposite side of the field
Flies into tackles – no easing off at the point of contact
Comfortable working in space and is reliable dropping into zone pass protection
Two-time captain, real team leader and excellent communicator. Respected by his teammates
Con's:
Lacks play strength throughout his core
Doesn’t bring enough power at contact to create breathing room from blockers
Struggles to rid himself of attention when trying to peel to the football
Has good lateral mobility but a little stiff changing direction – more telling in man coverage
Short arms gives him a limited tackle radius
The Verdict:
“After four years in Chapel Hill, Jeremiah Gemmel leaves North Carolina as a well-rounded and trustworthy linebacker. Proficient against both the run and the pass, Gemmel brings a considered and composed style of play to the position, a refreshing change in a draft class full of prospects who play like their hair is on fire. Gemmel rarely misses an assignment, will not stop working for the team, and is a real asset in the locker room. His lack of size and length are the biggest prohibiting factors to a lengthy NFL career - consistently getting off blocks is going to be challenging for him - so giving him space to operate as a free Will linebacker who can lock down the back door and hunt the football will maximise his skillset. If he can offer special teams value, Gemmel is well worthy of rounding out a linebacker group.”
PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.