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Potential Lions draft pick scouting report: Oregon DE Jordan Burch

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NCAA Football: Michigan State at Oregon
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Film observations for Oregon DE Jordan Burch—a potential Detroit Lions target in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jordan Burch is a defensive end prospect that has ideal height, weight, and length for the Lions defensive system and could be an outstanding Day 2 fit for the team. Below are my observations of the former five-star recruits game, including positive traits, deficient traits, and other observations from his tape.

Oregon DE Jordan Burch

Measurables:

  • Height: 6-foot-4
  • Weight: 279 pounds
  • Arm length: 33 inches
  • RAS: N/A

Burch elected not to participate in any explosion or agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine or Oregon’s pro day, leaving him without a full Relative Athletic Score (RAS). However, it’s worth noting that Burch has been well-decorated in Bruce Feldman’s Annual Freak’s List . On the list, it was highlighted this offseason that Burch had a vertical jump of 35 inches, hit 20.75 MPH on GPS tracking, and in 2023, during Oregon’s offseason workout program, back-squatted 685 pounds and performed a sumo deadlift of 685.

Games watched

Positive traits

  • Has the ability to control offensive linemen in the run game but needs more consistency.
  • Displayed textbook technique against a Boise State double team—dropping to one knee to split blockers and contribute to a tackle for loss against Ashton Jeanty.
  • Flashes his hands early to establish control and leverage against blockers.
  • Shoots the B-gap effectively when slanting inside to penetrate on early downs from the five-technique.
  • While his pass-rush plan isn’t the most refined, he finds success with his bull rush, using his length effectively—reminiscent of Calais Campbell or DeMarcus Lawrence.
  • Implements a forklift technique that complements his bull rush with impressive results.
  • Utilizes a long-arm technique to keep blockers at bay.
  • Overwhelmed Ohio State RT Josh Fryar (#70), winning reps with his strength and physicality.
  • Stood up 2024 first-round pick Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) with a dominant bull rush.
  • Showcased a euro-step club move to beat 2024 second-round pick Roger Rosengarten (Washington).
  • Effective with inside counter moves, including a rip and swim.
  • Collapses the pocket and disrupts passing lanes, leading to multiple pass deflections (notably vs. Boise State).
  • Disrupts play-action rollouts as the backside edge defender.
  • Explosive closing speed on twists, with notably high success rate against Washington in 2023.
  • High-motor player with relentless pursuit skills, especially when chasing down scrambling quarterbacks. Tormenting chase down ability.
  • Frequently generates clean-up sacks and pressures, with his pursuit skills, making him a great complement to Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill.
  • Versatile experience playing both left and right defensive end.
  • Fires off the line effectively from a two-point stance, allowing him to beat offensive tackles to their outside shoulder
  • Shows flashes of bend and the ability to flatten around the corner.
  • Can kick inside to rush from the three-technique, showing power against interior linemen.

Deficient traits

  • Can get washed out in the run game, particularly as a five-technique, as seen against Penn State—more effective as a penetrator than a plugger.
  • Struggles to anchor against double teams in the run game.
  • Still developing a more complete and varied pass rush arsenal.
  • Needs to refine hand usage and sequencing when engaging blockers.
  • While usually a mismatch for tight ends, he was surprisingly neutralized at times by Ohio State’s tight ends
  • Inconsistent shedding blocks despite having the tools to do so; occasional issues surfaced against Boise State’s outside zone looks.
  • Can stall out when his initial bull rush fails to gain ground.
  • Pad level rises when he’s late off the snap, compromising leverage.

Other observations

  • Played through both knee and ankle injuries during the second half of the 2024 season, missing three games due to the knee and one due to the ankle.
  • Had limited opportunities to rush against traditional pass sets versus Penn State due to a heavy dose of RPOs, play-action, and screen plays—often with added chip-block help.
  • Ohio State similarly leaned on RPOs to neutralize true pass rush opportunities.
  • Though not often aligned as a 9-technique, he showed capability there when given the opportunity.
  • Took more reps out of a three-point stance than standing upright in a two-point.
  • Had a dropped interception on a screen pass against Boise State that likely would’ve resulted in a pick-six.
  • Flashed a rare spin move in the 2023 Oregon State game.
  • Some projection is required due to containment-first assignments on some pass plays at Oregon, which led to a delay in his rush.
  • He showed noticeably more juice on tape throughout 2023 and early 2024, but he was zapped of his zip late in the 2024 season—particularly in matchups against Penn State and Ohio State—after battling through knee and ankle injuries, making the evaluation more complex.