Jordan Sterns Knows How Good He Is, Does the NFL?

We’re just days away from the NFL Draft. A couple hundred or so young men eagerly wait to see if and when their names will be called. But whether you’re Myles Garrett, who can apparently threaten the first team on the board into drafting him, or the eventual “Mr. Irrelevant”, your life is about to change forever.

Former Oklahoma State safety Jordan Sterns finds himself somewhere in the middle. His measurables are respectable but not enough to get him out from under a Big 12-sized conference-defense bias. You have to watch him in-game to see his potential.

The three-year starter and leading tackler under Mike Gundy earned a reputation for getting to the ball and leaving a little orange paint once he got there.

That’s something Mike Gundy said he’ll miss about Sterns.

“Sterns is a throwback player,” Gundy said prior to the Alamo Bowl. “He kind of goes back to the days of the ’80s of guys that will strike you and enjoy the contact. Goes against human nature for two people to want to run into each other. There’s some players that are somewhat genetically unbalanced and they’re willing to do that. Sterns has been one of those guys up to this point.”

“Genetically unbalanced” does not guarantee you an early round draft spot, I’m sad to say. NFL.com gave Sterns a 4.9 draft grade which falls just shy of the “50/50 shot to make a roster” range.

But for the sake of comparison, let’s look up the list to their No. 4-ranked safety, Washington’s Budda Baker who, with a score of 5.9, falls under “could become early NFL starter”.

Last year, Baker had 71 total tackles (49 solo), 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups and three sacks. Sterns’ senior year, he amassed 101 total tackles (63 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and two pass breakups. Baker also played two more games than Sterns, who sat out against Iowa State.

In the measurable department, Sterns is taller with a bigger reach and bigger frame than Baker’s, which according to NFL.com raises concerns about his ability to pack on 200 pounds. Conversely, Sterns can count his frame as a strength, with NFL.com seeing him able to bulk up if needed, though he already has NFL size.

Sterns is a step slower than Baker (4.51 at OSU’s Pro Day) with Baker recording a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine. Sterns’ negatives are an observed stiffness in his hips and and a belief that he lacks elite athleticism to play centerfield in the NFL.

ProFootballFocus predicts Sterns as a special teams contributor at the next level, citing that lack of elite athleticism and “long speed” as a possible issue when keeping up with the wide receiver talent he would see on a weekly basis.

For what it’s worth, Sterns’ 4.51 40-yard dash from OSU’s Pro Day would have landed him tied for 6th among safeties at this year’s NFL Combine. Again, not elite, but nothing to shake your head at.

PFF also recently lauded Sterns for his ability to stop the run and use his reach to tackle in space. Here are some highlights.

• Aggressive when attacking the run from safety position without being out of control.
• Flashes the ability to break down and tackle effectively in space.
• Has frame to add more muscle and have a proper NFL body type.
• Uses his length well to reach around his man and break up passes when in position.
• Made significant strides in coverage each of the past two seasons; gave up a QB rating of 157.7 in 2014, 92.2 in 2015 and 57.3 this past season.
• Gave up just 14 receptions on 25 primary targets in 2016; only one went for longer than 20 yards, and only three were longer than 10.
• Second-best run-stop percentage within 8 yards of LOS of all Big 12 safeties. [ProFootballFocus]

At least up until this point, Sterns does not appear concerned with such things.

“I don’t really care what I’m ranked or what I’m hearing right now because at the end of the day I know how good I am,” Sterns exclaimed on the PFB Podcast. “So if they’ve got guys ranked ahead of me and what not, I know my work man so I pretty much try to stay off of those scouting websites.”

Whether Sterns ends up hearing his named called from the podium this weekend or finds his way onto a roster as a free agent, I have a feeling he’s going to find his niche at the next level.