Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker selected 48th overall in NFL Draft
Penn State Nittany Lions safety Jaquan Brisker has been selected 48th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
Brisker is the third Nittany Lion off the board.
Brisker arrived in Happy Valley ahead of the 2019 season from Lackawanna College.
The safety was a three-year contributor for James Franklin the Nittany Lions, emerging as one of college football’s elite defensive backs in his first season as a starter during the pandemic-shortened 2020 year.
Brisker received a sparkling 82.4 overall defense grade from Pro Football Focus that season. Tackling proved to be his calling card. According to PFF’s metrics, Brisker missed one tackle throughout that entire campaign.
Electing to return for a third season in 2021 rather than testing the NFL waters, Brisker’s coverage skills improved considerably.
Brisker’s coverage grade from PFF rose from a solid 77.8 to an elite 89.5 mark in 2021.
In totality, Brisker concluded his Penn State career with 151 total tackles, 14 pass breakups, 10 tackles for loss and five interceptions. He appeared in 34 games for the Nittany Lions across three seasons in State College.
More on Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker’s path to the NFL
Brisker sold his versatility heavily to NFL teams who inquired about his ability to play multiple positions.
“Some teams just asked me what I could do, if I could play all six [secondary] positions,” Brisker said at Penn State’s Pro Day event. “And I say yes. Throughout junior college and throughout my time here I’ve shown my versatility. I showed that I could play anywhere in the secondary, whether that’s corner, nickel, boundary nickel or both safety spots.”
Brisker encountered some difficulty at the NFL combine when his back locked up during his bench pressing session.
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“I’m doing the bench, my back was getting tight,” Brisker said. “Once I finished, my back was just super tight…But I’m a competitor, I like to finish through everything.”
Brisker’s effectiveness for the rest of the events thereafter was impacted. He was particularly unhappy with his vertical jump — posting a 34.5-inch number in Indy. He rebounded at Pro Day to deliver a 38.5-inch jump.
“I just wanted to come out here and show that with a better back I could jump 38.5 and move like a corner,” Brisker said.
Brisker was arguably Penn State’s most important player on defense for the last two seasons.
In 2021, he headlined a pass defense that was the best in the Big Ten East Division, surrendering only 199.8 yards per contest.
He also proved to be a worthy emotional leader for the secondary and the defense as a whole — a role he’s passed on to fellow Lackawanna College product Ji’Ayir Brown.
“He’s been a great leader with the younger players, his interactions with me have been fantastic [and] he’s been great with helping us recruit in Pittsburgh,” Franklin said.
“I’m just really proud of him.”
