Who is Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson?

First Round Mock’s William Yanish studied Arkansas quarterback (QB) KJ Jefferson and put a pre-season grade on him for the 2024 NFL Draft.

I stopped doing player comparisons.

Why?

It really came down to three things:

1. Athletes are their own players and there isn’t a reason to start tossing around comparisons.

2. It just isn’t fair to some players to end up with unrealistic expectations that they can’t possibly live up to.

3. Everyone and their grandpa are doing it and it’s just getting old.

Then there’s also the fact that if I hear USC QB Caleb Williams compared to Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes one more time, I will SCREAM!

That brings me to my next guy…

Kenneth Dwayne “KJ” Jefferson Jr. He’s a 6-foot-3 246-pound QB prospect at the University of Arkansas.

Background

Jefferson is a behemoth and a mountain of a man that just happens to play QB. He could easily be a FB (Fullback), TE (Tight-end), or LB (Linebacker).

Where’s the glory in that, though?!

A ton of people have him compared to former NFL QB Cam Newton. However, that is just not the case. He doesn’t have the height, athleticism, or the fashion sense. Oh and yeah… Newton took over the SEC in one blockbuster season.

The Yanish Report

Big and thick frame. Good, traditional footwork with classic on-point body mechanics. Will step up in front of rushers. Sharp progressions. Field vision could improve. Suffers tunnel vision at times. Quicker release. Gets everyone involved. Good touch on passes. Accuracy gets there. Ball placement comes and goes, especially on deeper shots. Good ball security. Passer first. Mobile, but lacks BOOM on contact. Can pick up tough yards on the ground. High football IQ. A solid leader with maturity. Experienced.

For the win

Between 2021 and 2022, you could see him settling into the role of being the starting QB for the Razorbacks. You can just see how far he has come as a player.

He might be an NFL QB after all. Even though his persona might not say “Superstar,” you can see a solid football prospect when you look at him on game film.

Jefferson is a big, strong kid that can pick up first downs with his feet. He is also a low-injury risk who takes care of the ball and isn’t a showboat.

Nine interceptions over the last two years is nothing to gawk at.

There’s not a whole lot not to like about this kid.

An NFL team in the market for a solid backup will definitely not get hurt by taking a chance on him. Pairing him with a solid mentor could be key, as well. Jefferson is a selfless man who possesses good QB talent and a low bust probability.

My BIG three questions

1. Can he come into the NFL and develop into a starter over time?

2. Will he be brought into a good situation where he isn’t forced to start right away?

3. Can he show enough this year so he won’t become the forgotten man in this QB-packed draft class?

How Jefferson stacks up and game film reviewed

My 2024 NFL Draft Value: Fourth-Round

2022 Game Film Evidence

2021 (Jersey No. 1)

Texas A&M

Texas

Auburn

Ole Miss

2022 (Jersey No. 1)

Alabama

South Carolina

Texas A&M

Cincinnati

William Yanish III is a lifelong football fan. He’s from the little town of Crawford, Colorado. Along the way, he’s lived in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Brookings, Oregon. Quarterback Joe Montana was his idol growing up. A little bit of CTE from life’s adventures killed his dreams as a football player. Now, he is an aspiring writer and Draft Analyst at FirstRoundMock.com. He’s a fanatic with a dream, which is coming true.