Jartavius Martin NFL Draft Scouting Report

DB, Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin projects as a safety/nickel linebacker hybrid for the NFL level. “Quan” Martin has size, physicality, and tackling skills at his disposal, making him a potential valuable subpackage defender in today’s NFL game. His tackling skills give him an added boost to be a reliable defender against the run and make him a prospect I think is capable of commanding the majority of snaps in an NFL defense. 

Originally a 3-star recruit, Martin committed to Illinois as a member of their 2018 recruiting class. He played his high school football at Lehigh Senior High School in Lehigh Acres, FL. Upon arriving at Illinois, Martin has been a regular staple in the lineup, starting 15 of 30 games played across his first three seasons before becoming a regular starter across the last two years. He is a well-seasoned player who has found a strong role as the Illini nickel. 

Martin has a really likable skill set that projects well to today’s NFL game. He’s got coverage abilities to match in the slot. He’s physical enough to re-route releases and disrupt timing long enough to ensure he’s able to get hands on and carry routes across the middle of the field. Plus, he sustains that contact well through the catch point, squeezing receivers and forcing tight throwing windows. That pairs with his tackling skills to create a well-rounded player. This is one of the better tackling defensive backs in the class and his ability to finish both at the catch point and in the run game make him a defender that has a high floor. Martin is someone who also offers a special teams resume, which makes him a lock for a 53-man roster even if he lands in a defense that has a crowded defensive backfield. His ability to tackle in space will get him on every kick coverage unit on the team. 

Martin’s ball skills shined in 2022. He made a lot of plays on the football in one of CFB’s better secondaries, showing good reactive quickness late with the ball in the air and the needed physicality and length to play through the body of receivers and bat the ball from their hands. I like him best as a man-coverage defender against tight ends in the league given some of the elements of his athletic profile that may not lend themselves well to having to transition in space against more twitchy athletes. 

Transitionally, Martin is a bit high-hipped and his ability to flip and carry will be tested by speed athletes. If he’s going to be pressing or collisioning smaller receivers, he’d be best served being in their face at the line of scrimmage as compared to playing in space and trying to live in that world where he has to have the footwork and foot-fire to flash with them at the top of their stem. Long speed in general should be considered sufficient but not a plus and I think that’s a big catalyst for playing him against tight ends. He’s physical enough but you trust him to go stride for stride either vertically or across the field with the bigger players, especially given they aren’t as dynamic out of the blocks and they offer a bigger strike zone for a jam in coverage. 

Expectations for Martin will vary by team, but I think anyone looking to get the best version of him is wise to commit to playing him in the nickel. Whether you classify him as a corner or a safety is really inconsequential relative to the nickel role—although I do think he can move around as a shallow MOF defender beyond more than just the slot. I think he can play early and often, but his role isn’t one I see projecting as favorably into base defense. Although, as we all know, the game is played in sub these days. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Big, physical tackler with ability to fit the run
• Boom in ball production in 2022 indicates he’s leveled up his game
• Slot versatility to play in man or zone-heavy systems

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Functional short-area quickness to mirror all kinds of receivers may be limited
• Positional value as a non-option outside will hurt valuation by many teams
• Long speed will cap assignments in man coverage

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 5′ 11”

Weight: 194 lbs

Arm Length: 31 1/8”

Hand Size: 9 5/8”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.46s

Vertical Jump: 44”

Broad Jump: 11′ 1”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: 15 reps

Ideal Role: Nickel defender

Scheme Fit: Scheme versatile

Prospect Comparison: Eric Rowe (2015 NFL Draft)

TDN Consensus Grade: 76.50/100 (Third-Round Value)

• Crabbs Grade: 76.50/100

Written By: Kyle Crabbs

Exposures: Wyoming (2022), Wisconsin (2022), Minnesota (2022), Michigan (2022)

Jartavius Martin NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.