Jhamon Ausbon NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’-2”
Weight: 217 pounds
School: Texas A&M
Jhamon Ausbon 2021 NFL Draft Profile
After spending the entirety of his college career with Texas A&M, the muscular Jhamon Ausbon is hoping to take his talents to the next level in the 2021 NFL Draft. Ausbon didn’t play in 2020, which is truly a shame considering his breakout 2019. The last we saw of the big receiver, Ausbon recorded 66 receptions on 96 targets for 872 yards and five touchdowns.
Ausborn originally joined the college football ranks as a four-star recruit. Drawing interest from all across the nation, the receiver originally committed to LSU. However, a late change of heart led to him signing with Texas A&M. After primarily riding the bench as a true freshman, Ausbon recorded 31 receptions for 375 yards as a sophomore.
Strengths
- Muscular receiver with size that cornerbacks just can’t defend;
- Knows how to use his build to create separation at the top of routes – can’t get flagged for it every time;
- Devastating downfield blocker – could probably be a tight end with some work;
- Good contested catch guy;
- Not afraid to take a hit over the middle and hold on to the pass;
- Special teams experience as a kick returner, although he probably shouldn’t be that in the NFL.
Weaknesses
- Might just be the slowest receiver in this class – you could time him with a calendar;
- Cannot get open against press;
- Bad route runner – everything looks sloppy and slow;
- Surprisingly bad after the catch – doesn’t break nearly as many tackles as you’d expect;
- Tape is littered with drops;
- Not that large of a catch radius;
- 38th percentile college dominator and 44th percentile target share;
- All non-strength measurables are below average.
NFL Comparison: Lesser N’Keal Harry
Teams With Need At Position: Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Undrafted Free Agent
Bottom Line on Jhamon Ausbon
In terms of size alone, Ausbon definitely has enough to earn a training camp invite, at the very least. The 6’-2”, 217-pound receiver is built like a tank and can outmuscle defenders at the point of attack. He gains separation at the top of routes by using his muscle in a way that some might call offensive pass interference, but he doesn’t usually extend the arm. He’s an absolute monster on run plays, as cornerbacks and even most safeties can’t match up against his massive frame. As a silver lining, he also has experience returning kicks, although he should only be a worst-case scenario returner in the NFL.
Some scouting reports have Ausbon as a fringe top-100, and I just do not get it. While he has some NFL-caliber traits, there is just so much standing in between him and a successful NFL career. Ausbon might just be the slowest receiver in the draft and offers absolutely nothing after the catch. You’d expect a guy this big to be able to break tackles, but he really doesn’t. This lack of speed and agility shows up in his route running, as cornerbacks are typically strapped by his side throughout the route. While he can use his size out beat corners on accurate passes, he doesn’t have that much of a catch radius. If it’s not an accurate pass, he’s probably not coming down with it. Even if it is an accurate pass, there’s a decent chance he’ll drop it.
Ausbon’s best chance of sticking around in the NFL probably comes at the tight end position. He’ll need to add on some weight and learn the entire position from the ground up, but his lack of speed and agility won’t be nearly as big of an issue when he’s working against linebackers. The league needs more tight ends with pass-catching potential, and Ausbon could theoretically carve out a role as a decent TE2 down the line – it’ll just take him a while to get there.
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