Overview
Position: Edge defender
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 256 pounds
School: Oregon Ducks
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.92 seconds
Bench press: 19 reps
Vertical jump: 32.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 5 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.22 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.59 seconds
Jalen Jelks 2019 NFL Draft Profile
A consensus three-star prospect out of Phoenix, AZ, Jalen Jelks played on the defensive line as well as at left tackle for Desert Vista High School. But collegiate programs were after him due to his exploits in forcing negative plays on defense. Eight Pac-12 schools offered him a scholarship and he eventually settled on Oregon. He comprised a 2014 recruiting class that included current Denver Broncos running back Royce Freeman.
After sitting out the 2014 season, Jelks played in 11 games as a redshirt freshman. He contributed largely in a reserve role that year but he still managed to register three sacks and three tackles for loss. The following season, he tallied the lone interception of his college career while adding two sacks, four tackles for loss, and two pass breakups in eight games of action.
Jelks finally became a major force on the Ducks defensive front in 2017 when he started all 13 games. That season, he registered a team-leading six sacks and 15 tackles for loss, the latter of which ranked third in the Pac-12. For his efforts, he earned second team all-conference honors and was named the Oregon defensive MVP by his teammates. Though his sack (3.5) and tackle for loss (7.5) numbers dipped as a senior, he finished the season with 57 tackles which led all Pac-12 defensive linemen. He subsequently received first-team all-conference recognition from the league’s coaches.
Strengths
- ideal physical traits, including above-average length;
- impressive initial burst and lateral twitch;
- always looking to ward off and separate with active hands;
- brings prodigious effort in backside pursuit;
- a relentless fighter who exudes competitiveness and aggression;
- sports middle linebacker-level ranginess;
- if he can’t get to the quarterback, he’s capable of batting down throws;
- has experience lining up inside as a three-tech.
Weaknesses
- frame is in need of bulking up, especially in lower body;
- tries to play more powerful than he’s capable of;
- needs work as an edge bender and must improve ability to turn the corner;
- a bit one-dimensional in terms pass rush moves;
- needs to do a better job disengaging and attacking laterally to bring down runners;
- could be more instinctual reading and reacting as a run defender;
- gets swallowed up by double teams;
- not much of a hand in the dirt edge player and might be limited to 3-4 outside linebacker.
NFL Comparison: Andre Branch
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins
Projection: Third to fourth round
Bottom Line
Jelks is a lengthy prospect with plenty of traits you see in next level edge players. His ball get-off and lateral athleticism are superb and, combined with his active hands, enable him to separate from blockers and attack the quarterback/ball-carrier. He brings incredible effort and plays with the controlled aggression coaches like to see. His range is impressive for a defensive end and it allows him to pursue to the other side of the field and blow up backside contains.
But a lot of teams with edge rusher as a team need might classify him as raw and in need of development. He certainly brings toughness and tries to win with physicality. But in order for him to do this at the next level, he needs to spend time in a weight room and add functional muscle mass, particularly below the hips. He also needs to attack offensive linemen with more of a plan and that means becoming more multifaceted in terms of the pass-rushing moves at his disposal.
In closing, Jelks has the feel of a project and likely doesn’t have every-down value right off the bat. He also might be limited in terms of scheme with teams who employ a 3-4 look likely the best destination. In the right system with a coaching staff that can successfully mold and develop him, he has the makings of a player who can eventually become an NFL starter.
