Jacksonville Jaguars select Jordan Jefferson in fourth round of 2024 NFL Draft

LSU defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson has found an NFL home after he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 116 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jefferson arrives in the pros after a long and productive collegiate career spanning five years and two different schools. The lion’s share of his snaps were played in Morgantown, WV for West Virginia, where he spent four total seasons after committing there as a freshman.

In high school, Jefferson was a three-star prospect by the On3 Industry Rankings, which pegged him as the No. 1,583 overall recruit in 2019, as well as the No. 143 defensive lineman and the No. 222 player out of Florida for his cycle.

Once at WVU, though, Jefferson was able to develop nicely. Like most sub-1,000 recruits, his impact was limited in his first years, but by year three, Jefferson broke into the rotation to make 17 tackles and four for a loss in 2021. In 2022, Jefferson totaled 31 tackles, a whopping 9.5 for a loss, along with 3.0 sacks and five pass deflections — his best season statistically in college.

He did transfer to LSU in 2023 and likely thought he’d be part of a much better defensive unit than the group that ended up playing, but Jefferson was still fine, producing a career-high 36 tackles but just 7.0 TFL’s and 2.5 sacks. At least, those numbers were good enough to warrant NFL attention.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jordan Jefferson

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com went through many of the draft-eligible prospects and sketched out a small profile of each guy, highlighting strengths and weaknesses while addressing how the player translates to the next level.

Here was his scouting report on the LSU DL ahead of the draft:

“Jefferson has a proportional frame with good upper-body thickness. His game against Alabama was discouraging, as he was often overwhelmed at the point of attack by the size and power of the Crimson Tide. However, it is hard to ignore his first-step quickness and ability to shoot into the backfield as a run-play disruptor.

“Teams will need to invest the time to get him stronger and to improve his take-on technique. He might be worth a draft and stash for one-gapping teams willing to put developmental work into him.”

Best of luck to Jordan Jefferson as he embarks on his professional career following a stint at LSU and four good years with the Mountaineers.