by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of 247Sports.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Oregon, Edge Rusher, Jordan Burch
Name- Jordan Burch
Pos- Edge
Team- Oregon
HT/WT- 6’6” 290 lbs.
Born- 10/10/2001
Home – Columbia, SC
Burch was a consensus 5-star prospect for Hammond High School in Columbia, South Carolina. ESPN ranked him as the #4 overall prospect in the nation and he was selected and chosen captain for the 2020 Under Armour All-American Game. He committed to South Carolina over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Wake Forest.
During his freshman season at South Carolina, Burch appeared in 8 games and finished the season with 19 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. In 2021, he became a part of a regular rotation for the Gamecocks and played in 13 games while starting 1. During his breakout season he collected 26 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack and 1 interception he returned for a touchdown.
Last season at South Carolina, Burch became the starter on the edge and showed off his talents by starting in all 13 games and totaling 60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. After the season, he entered the transfer portal and elected to continue playing football for the Oregon Ducks.
This season for the Ducks, Burch has picked up where he left off in South Carolina. He has started 8 games and has been a dominating force for Oregon. He has 20 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 3 sacks to help lead the Ducks to a 7-1 start.
Burch is a high energy player who plays with emotion and never seems to give up on a play. He is agile and has the ability to drop into coverage when needed. He can line up in different areas and blitz out of different spots, giving him a level of positional flexibility. He is quick off the snap and has strong hands to disengage blockers, though he is going to be valued more in a 4-3 defense but can play both schemes. He’s instinctive and attacks the ball without hesitation.
Burch lacks the moves to be a consistent pass rusher and takes advantage of open lanes found only in college. He struggles at times in run defense and is not a hard hitter despite his size. He is more of a clutch and drag type tackler and does not wrap up the way you should to be a consistent tackler. He lets the offensive lineman get the upper hand by playing too stiff and upright, and he could do more damage by using a lower base to drive through linemen. In coverage, he does not have the speed to be able to hang with faster, athletic tight ends.
Though Burch is a little bigger than former Pitt Panther Patrick Jones, Draft 412 sees a lot of the same similarities in their game. Jones was a solid defensive end for the Pitt Panthers, but he never had one true area where he excelled. Jones was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Vikings and is still trying to find traction in the league. Burch will get drafted a little lower in the draft but has a higher ceiling than Jones.
Strengths
High energy
Agility
Quick off snap
Initial punch
Weaknesses
Too upright
Pass rush moves
Chase speed
Tackling
Final Analysis
Jordan Burch is a talented edge rusher with the prototypical size needed in the NFL. He needs to work on his mechanics and keep a low base to take advantage of his 6’6” frame. He appears to be a solid rotational defensive lineman from the onset, with a chance to grow into being a starter and producer.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 4th round or 5th round