2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: Jalen Nailor
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Michigan State
- Height: 6'0"
- Weight: 190lbs
Film Watched: Northwestern 2021, Rutgers 2021, Iowa 2020
Pro's:
- Track speed to attack the deep field on every snap
- Sneaky acceleration; quick off the line but in a way that catches defenders off guard
- Ignoring early contact too easy for him; gets skinny, shields his numbers and glides by hands
- Devastating suddenness, will embarrass coverage with stop and go’s, hitches etc
- Underappreciated agility to develop short and intermediate production
- Tracking the ball over his shoulder is impressive
- Intelligent. Understands coverage and pursuit angles, and adjusts to maximise yards before contact
- Significant special teams contributor as both a kickoff and punt returner
Jalen Nailor is a WR prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 7.21 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 715 out of 2557 WR from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/KRyhdtR3Lz #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/7SXnIztt1Q
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2022
Con's:
- Slightly undersized. Noted dropoff in production on contested sideline catches
- Struggles to box out interest at the catch point, and hands can be disturbed by the defender
- Works hard to maintain a passing window but too easily squeezed to the sideline by bigger DB’s
- Durability concerns; just one season at East Lansing that wasn’t ended by injury
- Far from a production machine for Michigan State, instead used as a big play target for chunk yards
The Verdict:
“Jalen Nailor is going to have a tough time convincing NFL scouts he can stay on the field, and even then they will have misgivings about him being able to compete on the outside at his current size and play strength. His elite speed will be matched at the next level by more attention in the first five yards by defenders used to seeing that quickness in bigger bodies, and if you nullify that aspect of his game you’re left with little else to hang your hat on as an offense. Underused in the short game, Nailor has some untapped agility to grow his repertoire in this regard, and if any team is intrigued it will undoubtedly be as a bottom of the roster developmental receiver that will earn his crust early in his career as an explosive returner.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
PREDICTION: 7TH ROUND PICK
Rated 5 out of 5