J.J. Weaver will be watched closely by NFL Draft scouts this season

Kentucky redshirt senior J.J. Weaver returned for another year to develop as a player and bolster his game before going to the NFL. The outside linebacker will be a player that the scouting community will be watching closely over the next few months.

Weaver enters the 2023 season with 16 starts in 35 career games at Kentucky. The EDGE player has accumulated 120 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 47 pressures, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 1,297 defensive snaps. Unfortunately, the three-year starter for Kentucky and preseason third-team All-SEC selection has yet to get through a full season without some type of injury holding him back.

Kentucky and Weaver are hopeful that some offseason weight gain will help him avoid injury this season.

“Whenever you add good weight, and you can continue to stay strong and fast and explosive, that added girth allows you to hold point better in the run game,” Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White told KSR. “Gives you a little more push when you go speed-to-power in the pass rush. So there’s a lot of obvious added benefits to that.”

“The comparisons to when Josh [Allen] made that jump between his junior and senior year you could see he was just able to play stouter. It also, in a lot of cases, it allows you to play with less injury.”

Executive Director of the Senior Bowl Jim Nagy believes that J.J. Weaver could be a breakout player for the Wildcats this season.

If you’re looking for an SEC prospect who could breakout this year, @seniorbowl thinks Kentucky EDGE J.J. Weaver will be that guy.

Hard-luck injuries, including an ACL in 2020, have slowed his development but Weaver (6045v, 34 1/2 arm) has an NFL frame and NFL game.

Despite… pic.twitter.com/sZZSK4EMMl

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) August 8, 2023

Despite mostly playing one-armed on junior tape (with dislocated elbow), Weaver showed natural power playing through contact in both phases last year.

Staffers say he has packed on good bulk this offseason, going from 235 pounds to 254, which should make him even more difficult to block this year.

NFL teams looking for 3-4 OLB (outside linebacker) help will like Weaver as an edge-setter and how he takes up space as a dropper and J.J. Weaver could boost his draft stock significantly this year if turns pass rush flashes into more consistent pressure.

Jim Nagy, Senior Bowl

Marques Cox, Ray Davis, and Devin Leary are creating draft buzz on the offensive side, but J.J. Weaver is a clear building block for the defense. Kentucky once against has one of the best outside linebackers in the SEC, and a full healthy season could lead to some big numbers for the Louisville (Ky.) Moore product.

Do not be surprised if you see J.J. Weaver climb up draft boards as this season progresses.