On May 9th, the Baltimore Ravens mildly shocked draft analysts everywhere with their second round selection: Timmy Jernigan, defensive tackle, Florida State. Value-wise, Jernigan was a wonderful selection, but initially, he was seen as an odd scheme fit. At Florida State, Jernigan primarily played as a 1-tech in a 4-3 defense. What many fail to realize is that Baltimore is a more of a hybrid team based out of a 3-4 defense than it is a pure 3-4 defense. Due to the hybrid tendencies, scheme is not much of a factor. As Ozzie Newsome has shown time and time again, it is not about drafting for fits and needs, it is about taking the best player on the board. With that said, regardless of scheme, Jernigan will be made of use.

In the base 3-4, Jernigan may see time at two different spots. If Dean Pees feels compelled to allow Jernigan to play closer to where he is familiar, he will play at nose tackle (0/1-tech). There, he would use his strength and brutality to “plug” the middle and allow other defenders to make a play. On the other hand, he could see time at strong side defensive end (5-tech). At 5-tech on the strong-side, Jernigan would typically still be a “plugger” that eats space and blockers for the edge player. Him being at 5-tech is much less likely than him being at nose tackle, though.

When Baltimore is in their 2-4-5, or a similar look with two defensive tackles, Jernigan would be the 1-tech. Just like in college, Jernigan would beat down guards with his nasty swim move as a pass rusher, while he clogs up rushing lanes as a run defender. His combination of strength and hand usage will enable Jernigan to dominate the mediocre guards of the AFC North. His lack of initial explosion makes him an odd fit as a 3-tech because they are typically the better pass rusher, but in a pinch, he is talented enough to be serviceable for a short duration. No matter the scheme or formation, Jernigan will find a home.

In regards to playing time, Jernigan should see a fair amount of playing time for a rookie. As of now, Brandon Williams is set to take over at nose tackle, but Terrence Cody, who is quite frankly not good, is also on the depth chart. That being said, Jernigan should outplay Cody. In a two defensive tackle look, Haloti Ngata and Chris Canty will see a majority of the snaps, but DeAngelo Tyson will share a fair amount of the rotational snaps. Also, Canty’s, Tyson’s , and Ngata’s contracts all end after 2015, leaving Baltimore the flexibility to sign whoever they please without worrying about depth.