Jalen Reagor, TCU
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 206 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.47 seconds
Vertical Jump: 42.0 inches
Broad Jump: 138.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.31 seconds
Reagor was someone whose perceived stock went down after the NFL Combine. Expectations were that he’d run in the low 4.3s and maybe even get into the high 4.2-second range, but he didn’t come close. He added 11 pounds from his listed weight before the Combine, which certainly could’ve affected his results. But should we go off what we saw on tape, or what his numbers were without pads? This is where opinions differ.
His numbers were inconsistent while at TCU, as he had 1-2 receptions in five games during the 2019 season, but then had four games with five-plus receptions. It was more of the same in 2018, as he tallied seven-plus receptions in seven games but was held to 0-1 receptions in two of them. For someone as explosive as he is, the fact that he had just four 100-yard games in college is shocking. He also chipped in with 324 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns over his three years at TCU.
Here’s my detailed scouting report on Jalen Reagor (ratings out of five stars):
Size/Versatility
He’s a moveable chess piece who can be used on reverses, screens, down the field, wherever you want him. He added some weight for the NFL Combine, which was likely to quiet some concern about durability at less than 200 pounds. He’s built solidly and didn’t appear to be lanky on the field, even before he added 10-plus pounds. He should be able to play anywhere on the field and now has the size to absorb some hits over the middle of the field. You can also use him on special teams, though it does put him at a higher injury risk.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Route Running/Ability to Separate
If you want to judge him solely on his ability to separate, he breaks the charts due to the on-demand speed he has. He doesn’t have a very diverse route tree right now, though it’s not to say he doesn’t have the ability. A natural athlete with the agility he has should have no issue getting through the motions of a route with some time. If there’s a knock on his intermediate routes, it’s that he doesn’t sell them enough. Needs to get his upper body moving a bit more. He does, however, sell a double move extremely well. His false step combined with his speed create instant separation over the top. There’s also some inconsistency to the effort/urgency in his route-running, though that should be somewhat expected on such a run-heavy team.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Speed
Watch any play where he gets the ball and you’ll see his speed on display. Sure, he’s fast, but he’s also extremely quick. The type of speed he has works at every level and will translate to the NFL. To know that he was playing above 190 pounds means a lot for his size/speed score. He also doesn’t play at just one speed, as he varies his speed throughout the route and it created massive separation on deep balls, even if it was on the college level. If you fall a step behind, you will not catch him. If he gets into an offense with someone who knows how to utilize his speed, look out.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hands
Snags the ball out of the air with his hands naturally and aggressively, though he does suffer from focus drops. There are times where he’ll be thinking about what he’s going to do after the catch and it caused drops, but his hands are not going to be limiting to his play. Despite not being a big receiver, he’s not afraid to “go up and get it” with the best of them. Not someone who’s going to box out defenders and consistently win contested catch situations, but his catch radius isn’t small.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Ball-Tracking/Awareness
He was used on punt returns and he has no fear, passing on a few fair catches that 95 percent of players would’ve made. He also has zero cares about a defender coming his way on a route, as it doesn’t force him to slow down in any way. While that helps his aggressiveness, it doesn’t bode well for his awareness. His deep-ball tracking could be better, as there were balls that were underthrown to him that caused him to slow down, but he didn’t slow down enough to the point where he could box out the defender.
RATING: ⭐⭐ 1/2
After the Catch
He’s not a very big receiver, so he’s not going to stiff-arm defensive backs very often, but he’s extremely slippery to wrap up. His balance after contact is extremely good, as is his vision in the open field. It’s part of the reason he was used on reverses and screens so often, as he’s able to create yardage with his vision/athleticism.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Projected Draft Spot
Did the NFL Combine lower his stock? Potentially. Would that give him a chance to fall to one of the teams where he’d have the opportunity to succeed right out of the gate? Absolutely. Would love to see the Saints draft someone like him. He should be expected to go in the back-end of the first-round, or early in the second-round. Teams that should be most interested include the Saints, Dolphins, Packers, and Broncos.
NFL Comparison
The first time I watched Reagor, he reminded me of someone like Brandin Cooks. Utility blade weapon with on-demand speed who offers so much versatility to an offense. After putting on some weight, he may not have the top-end speed that Cooks does, but he offers more tackle-breaking potential, and can absorb some bigger hits. Reagor is going to be a player in this league and one who may fall further than he should.
Click here for our complete list of NFL Draft prospect profiles.
Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS
Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.