Jabari Zuniga Finishes Top Six in Each NFL Combine Drill Performed
After a successful showing for the talented Florida Gators involved in this year’s scouting combine, defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga answered some big questions that teams could have had about him with his athletic testing results.
Being on a mission to prove his worth in this year’s scouting combine, Zuniga needed to perform at a high level after an injury-plagued senior campaign. Finishing in the top six among defensive linemen in every drill he participated in, Zuniga put on a rather impressive performance in Indianapolis.
According to NFL.com, Clocking in the second-fastest 40-yard dash time for a defensive lineman at 4.64 seconds, ranking first in the broad jump at 10-7 (127 inches) and tied for fifth with 29 reps on the bench press, Zuniga did his part to solidify his draft stock in the opportunity he was given.
On top of that, Zuniga also recorded a 33" vertical jump but did not participate in the three-cone drill or twenty-yard shuttle for unknown reasons.
However, the most impressive result came by way of his athleticism score of 93, ranking first among edge rushers at the event, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Now, going without posting a three-cone and 20-yard shuttle still leaves room for concern. Those two tests are usually pretty telling when it comes to edge rushers as they determine explosion and the ability to bend. Fellow Florida edge rusher Jonathan Greenard aced those drills on Saturday.
Though, Zuniga's results were incredibly intriguing. No, these results may not carry the weight of three-cones and shuttles on the defensive line, but they do prove one thing to the NFL that Florida fans already knew: Zuniga is a freak athlete.
During his time as a Gator, Zuniga flashed signs of excellence that would translate well to the next level.
As an undersized strong-side defensive end, Zuniga was still able to dominant with his speed and explosion off the ball. With his best season coming in 2018, Zuniga tallied 45 tackles and 6.5 sacks to help bring the Gators back to relevancy after a down year the season prior.
Recording 118 tackles, 18.5 sacks, and a forced fumble over his entire collegiate career, Zuniga was an interesting playing to watch coming out of Gainesville for NFL teams.
Bulking up before the combine in an attempt to see more time as an interior defensive lineman at the next level, Zuniga added nearly 20 lbs. prior to the Combine, going from the 246 lbs. he weighed at Florida to 264 lbs.
While it is unlikely a team allows him to do so full-time, given his undersized physical attributes even as an exterior lineman, Zuniga's ability to carry that new weight and still be light on his feet is impressive - and should open up plenty of opportunities for him to carve out a role as a rotational pass rusher that can move inside-and-out.
In performing so well, Zuniga was able to put himself among the top of the class in nearly every athletic category of NFL hopefuls along the defensive line.
With loads of athleticism accompanied by his performance yesterday, Zuniga was able to put on for the scouts in attendance. In return, he was able to raise some eyebrows and re-boost his draft stock after an injury-plagued redshirt senior season at Florida.
