Myles Jack is maybe the most versatile player in the 2016 NFL Draft. Sure, FSU's Jalen Ramsey can play both cornerback and safety, but Jack, a linebacker by trade, can play safety, running back - heck, he could probably cook the pre-game meal and still be ready to break some ankles and snap some necks by the time kickoff rolled around. But the expectation has long been that Jack would drop the "of all trades" from his surname and instead focus in on one position once he entered the NFL.
And while that may still be the case, it's possible, should Jack land with the San Diego Chargers that it just won't be at the position everyone expects.
"They really envision me as a DB," Jack said of the Chargers. "Even at my pro day, toward the end, they kind of jumped in and had me do DB drills. They really envision me there. ... They feel like I can fill that spot Eric Weddle was at. Obviously, they want me at a lower weight, but with my skill set, they can see me in the slot, covering and running.
"Like they were saying, the NFL is moving to mostly sub-packages. So I think that's where the Chargers see me fitting in, a sub-package type of deal where I'm coming in and playing nickel and the safety-type role. They have plans for me. If they draft me, then I think that's the role I'll be playing in."
Weddle, of course, spent nine years with the Chargers perfecting that safety/nickel linebacker/slot corner role. He departed this offseason after a pair of particularly acrimonious years with the new Chargers coaching staff, taking his talents to Baltimore where the five-time All-Pro's all-around talents will likely be well-utilized by defensive coordinator Dean Pees.
As for the Chargers, Weddle's departure leaves Jahleel Addae and Dwight Lowery as the top safety options on the roster. Lowery was added via free agency and Addae, a third-year player, has posted limited production (no interceptions, 2 forced fumbles) since entering the Charger lineup in 2013.
Jack is currently listed at 6-foot-1, 245-pounds, which is far heavier than most safeties. But Jack, who along with Ramsey represents the only safety options for the Chargers in the top-10 of the draft, likened his safety game to a very successful NFL player whose main position is safety, but who plays much like a linebacker hybrid - Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.
"If I (play) safety, I see myself doing the things he does, just how physical he is," Jack said. "He's a force; he comes down and cleans things up. If a running back is coming and still standing up, he usually comes down and cleans their clock. He can kind of do everything against the run. He has a lot of range. I would model my game after his, most definitely. I enjoy watching him and how he plays. He definitely would be the person I'd try to be."
