The San Francisco 49ers are among several NFL teams to hold pre-draft meetings with Auburn safety Jamien Sherwood, per Justin Melo of The Draft Network. The others include the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and Green Bay Packers.
#Auburn S Jamien Sherwood excites me as a linebacker in a nickel sub package. A big, physical hitter with a versatile skill-set.
Sherwood has met w/ 20+ teams. That list includes the #Patriots, #Vikings, #Titans, #Packers, #Bills, #49ers, #Bengals, #Colts, #NYG & #SEA
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 10, 2021
Sherwood recorded 75 tackles, three tackles for a loss, a sack, and three passes defensed through 11 games as a junior in 2020, per Sports Reference. He has racked up 140 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception, and three passes defensed in three seasons with the Tigers.
NFL teams are allowed to conduct up to five video calls per prospect leading to the draft, and each call can last up to one hour. There is no limit to how many phone conversations NFL teams can conduct with draft-eligible players.
Sherwood is from Jensen Beach, FL. He earned a pre-draft grade of 6 from NFL.com, which equates to a "developmental traits-based prospect," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Sherwood:
Sherwood arrived at Auburn in January 2018 ready to contribute in his first season on the Plains. He played in all 13 games as a reserve, compiling 23 tackles (1.5 sacks) while intercepting one pass and breaking up three others. The Jensen Beach, Florida, product started twice in 13 appearances as a sophomore (43 tackles, four for loss, five pass breakups) before becoming a full-time starter in 2020. Sherwood tallied 75 stops as a junior (three for loss with one sack) and broke up three throws in 11 games; he started 10 games and sat out the beginning of the team's bowl game with an ankle injury before jumping in. -- by Chad Reuter
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Sherwood to safety Clayton Geathers and linebacker Nate Gerry, wrote the following about Sherwood within his scouting report:
Sherwood is a big, sure tackler with the striking power to leave a mark. He can intimidate receivers working into the middle of the field and has the size to cover tight ends. He must play down safety or in a robber role as his speed and athletic ability will get him into too many binds and get him beat in the pros. It wouldn't be shocking to see a team eventually look to move him from safety to linebacker, where his athletic ability would go from hindrance to help. He could make the move if he can add more size onto his frame and learn to better take on (or slip) blocks, but most teams will likely view him as a big, scheme-dependent safety who is tough but limited.
Pro Football Focus wrote the following about Sherwood within its draft guide:
After a part-time role that saw him make a couple of spot starts in 2019, Sherwood finally got the starting nod as a true junior this past season. While he didn't do much in terms of making plays, his role wasn't particularly conducive to that. He was often the guy tasked with eating blocks on wide screens or wide runs, and he did that admirably. He can take on receiver or tight end blocks with ease. While he could have used more seasoning and maybe ended up in the first round with a big 2021 season, Sherwood should still be an immediate starter in the box.
Dane Brugler wrote the following about Sherwood within his draft guide for The Athletic:
A one-year starter at Auburn, Sherwood was a versatile safety in former defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's 4-2-5 base scheme, lining up in the box, over the slot and in the deep half. The Tigers didn't return any starters in the secondary in 2020, but he was a valuable reserve the previous two seasons and was ready for a leadership role as a junior. Sherwood is well built, physical and quickly sniffs out plays, which allows him to get a head start and wear different hats based on personnel packages. While his mental development helps him prevent some plays, you wish his college tape showed more turnover-worthy splash plays (one interception and zero forced fumbles in 37 career games). Overall, Sherwood lacks the sudden athleticism to be a reliable man-cover defender, but he plays with NFL-level anticipation, length and aggression. He projects as a special-teamer and borderline starter at box safety.
Measurables
Height: 6-2
Weight: 216 lbs.
Arm length: 34 inches
Hand length: 10 inches
| College Statistics | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | ||||||||
| 2018 | Auburn | FR | 10 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2019 | Auburn | SO | 13 | 21 | 22 | 43 | 4 | 0 | -- | ||||||||
| 2020 | Auburn | JR | 11 | 44 | 31 | 75 | 3 | 1 | -- | ||||||||
| Total | Auburn | 77 | 63 | 140 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 1 | ||||||||||