Commanders selected Illinois S Jartavius Martin with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
A former three-star recruit who didn’t receive any other Power Five offers besides Illinois, Martin (5’11/194) started his collegiate career as an outside corner. He logged 745 reps over his first two seasons, allowing a 43.5% completion rate in 2019 before making the transition to nickel/safety where he found his calling. Martin excelled under Illini defensive guru DC Ryan Walters, who maximized Martin’s elite quickness and ability to handle shifty receivers by lining him up in the slot 63% of the time. A technically sound run defender, Martin missed just 5.4% of his tackle attempts over the past two seasons and ranked fourth nationally with a 90.6 PFF tackling grade in 2022. Also helping Martin’s case is his athletic profile, running a 4.46 40-yard dash (90th percentile) and the fastest 10-yard split in the 2023 safety class (1.44). His 44” vertical and 11’01” broad jump were both out-of-this-world 99th percentile marks for a combined 9.29 RAS. What Martin lacks in size and strength, he makes up for with incredible athletic traits and technical savvy making him a valuable nickel-back prospect.
