Lawson is twitchy and covers ground quickly when scraping to the football or knifing inside to disrupt as a run blitzer. His quick flow and pursuit is countered by a lack of play recognition/patience that can place him in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s much better at slipping blocks than he is at taking them on. He has the reactive agility to become an above-average open-field finisher, but his wrap-and-drive fundamentals run hot and cold. Lawson’s athleticism shows up in man coverage and when expanding his zone influence. He projects as a run-and-chase Will linebacker with three-down potential but a limited ceiling.
Jefferson is a smallish Will linebacker whose game is centered around his quickness and instincts. He plays with adequate field vision and good speed for long-haul pursuit. He's athletic with above-average change-of-direction quickness to stay engaged with the play. Jefferson lacks functional size to take on blocks and leverage his gap, so becoming a better block-slipper or run-and-chase option is essential. He can cover, blitz and spy mobile quarterbacks, so a nickel linebacker/special-teams role could be his best fit.
