Jonah Elliss scouting report: Exploring the Utah edge defender’s strengths and weaknesses

Jonah Elliss, the son of Luther Elliss, an All-American for Utah from 1991-94, followed in his father’s footsteps by committing to the Utes as a three-star recruit in 2021. His brother, Saints linebacker Kaden, and two other NFL players also come from a family with a strong connection to football.

Jonah Elliss saw a steady increase in playing time and production throughout his three years with the program. His impressive stats of 37 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three passes defended, and one forced fumble led to him being recognized as a second-team All-American.

Physical Profile: Stands at 6 feet and 2 inches, weighing 245 pounds; currently a Junior.

Analyzing Jonah Elliss’ strengths and weaknesses

Defensive Rushing Game:

• Presents a well filled-out frame and capable of standing up tackles in the run game
• Consistently is able to fit his hands inside the chest of blockers at the point of attack in order to set a firm edge
• Was asked to line up at a 4i- and 5-technique quite a bit and worked hard to not be reach-blocked or scooped up as the offense draws up quick combos against him
• Showcases excellent mobility down the line when he’s on the backside of zone concepts
• Happily accelerates into pulling guards and squeezes down lanes inside as the offense wants to kick him out
• Recognizes opportunities to spin inside as the ball-carrier gets upfield to get involved on the tackle
• When unblocked on the backside of zone concepts, Elliss patiently shuffles along with his shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage, to be ready for bootlegs and reverses
• His PFF grade has improved by 11+ points each over the past three seasons (84.8 in 2023)

Defensive Pressure:

• Displays an impressive ability to get his hips flipped towards the quarterback after threatening up the field
• His flexibility in the lower half to dip around the corner – often times paired with an effective rip-through – or circle back as the quarterback steps up really stands out
• Packs an impressively rapid spin move, best utilized when he gives a little jab inside, then steps through and initiates the movement back across the tackle’s face
• When he gains some distance to the tackle after the initial move is over, how he can swipe away the next punch and get low to work around the man leads to plenty of secondary wins
• Thanks to his short-area burst, you rarely see quarterbacks be able to get outside of Elliss if he feels like the guy is engaged too much with his blocker
• Recognizes and pushes down cut-block attempts in the quick game, before getting his arms up in the passing lane
• Was used as a spinner over the center and even off-ball blitzer a few times and his ability to squeeze past or slide off contact even when there isn’t a lot of space was on display
• Just continues to work and make the quarterback uncomfortable back there and his pursuit all across the field as they get into scramble-mode or the ball comes early, is top-level
• Along with his 39 combined pressures (across 332 pass-rush snaps), Jonah Elliss logged 29(!) additional pass-rush wins last season – which is more indicative for his ability to beat blockers, since they did rush three and slid an extra pair of hands his way quite regularly

Areas for Improvement:

• Gets his eyes trapped inside blockers and can’t contain at times against fast ball-carriers just bouncing around him, as well as be reckless with just shooting inside of anybody working towards him behind the line of scrimmage
• Could be labelled a somewhat position-less player, because he’s too small for playing inside at the pro level, but might also not have the pure speed to win off the edge consistently
• Way too often has pass-rush reps against tackles dictated to him at the initial phase of interaction, as they land their outside hand into his chest
• Has a really tough time disengaging from interior pass-protectors once those guys snatch cloth on him, where his wide shoulders don’t help in terms of surface area to grab
• Can still do a better job of attacking half the man, setting up and stringing together moves throughout matchups

Jonah Elliss’ Future in the NFL: A Look at His 2024 Draft Prospects

Jonah Elliss was known for being an entertaining edge defender to observe due to his constant energy and determination to break away from blocks and create opportunities on the field. In a way, he reminded me of a slightly less agile Maxx Crosby, although he primarily rushed from a two-point stance.

In order for him to play on early downs and reach his potential as a pass-rusher, he must improve his reliability in containing his responsibilities. This includes effectively countering the initial punch of tackles, allowing him to consistently execute his primary approach rather than relying on secondary moves or pushing through blockers.

Despite his injury, Jonah Elliss’ toughness should be commended for playing through the final four games with limited use of his left arm. This determination, coupled with his versatility in defined dropback situations and potential as a run-defender due to his upper-body strength and effort, make him a valuable player for whichever team drafts him. He has the ability to make an immediate impact on the field.

I anticipate that Jonah Elliss will be selected at some point during the middle of Day 2.

Rank: 50th