Pittsburgh Steelers Film Room: Linebacker Malik Jefferson

The Positive Traits

Malik Jefferson is an extremely physical specimen. He stands at 6’3″ 240 pounds of pure athlete.

For his size, his speed and power do not match. He plays with the speed and quickness of a smaller player but has the bulk and physicality of a player his size.

His style of play allows him to cover the entire field with ease. His speed allows him to get to the ball and his strength and physical nature allows him to punish whoever stands in his way.

Jefferson’s athleticism and speed also gives him the upper hand in coverage. He has the ability to play man or zone and can cover a running back or tight end.

This skill-set allows him to be a very versatile as a linebacker. A defensive coach has many ways to utilize a linebacker of his kind.

Blitzing also is a strong point of Jefferson. When asked to blitz he does not mess around and gets to his gap.

Jefferson has an explosive first step. Once he makes a decision, he wastes no time attacking and that is a great quality to have as a blitzing player.

He also has the skill-set to come up on the line and off the edge. His all-around versatility is without a doubt his best asset.