The Good and Bad of Jaylon Guilbeau's Final Scouting Report After NFL Combine

How high will the Longhorns cornerback get drafted after not testing at the combine?

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau signals the defense during the second quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is fast approaching.

A total of seven Texas Longhorns appeared in this year's pre-draft combine, meaning they will probably be selected in late April.

Each of those players' films has been reviewed and will be graded over the next week, continuing with cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., cornerback Malik Muhammad, and offensive guard DJ Campbell have already been profiled.

The Good

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver J.J. Hester is up ended by Texas Longhorns defesive back Jaylon Guilbeau in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game | Sarah Phipps / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Guilbeau is a 5"11, 190-pound cornerback who was a four-star prospect out of Port Arthur, Texas.

He was a spot player in his first two years, partially because of an ACL tear he suffered in 2022. As a junior, he took over starting slot cornerback duties before moving to outside corner as a senior.

As a player, Guilbeau is a hard-nosed and experienced defensive back who has special teams upside thanks to his athleticism and tenacity. He relishes opportunities to lay big hits on receivers, a skill that would obviously help him in kick coverage.

JAYLON GUILBEAU TAKES NO PRISONERS😈😤

🎥: ESPN pic.twitter.com/Z03NucAtbH

— Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) October 12, 2024

His physicality extends to his pass coverage, where he gets handsy at the top of the route and does solid work rerouting receivers in the middle of the field.

He fits runs well and also does a good job of disengaging blocks.

Guilbeau has fluid hips and looks comfortable in the man-motor technique. His coverage did not seem to be hurt by a late career switch to the perimeter; however, other parts of his game suffered.

While he possesses the requisite speed to play in the deep third or fourth, he could be described as quicker than he is fast. This agility protects him against double moves and helps him deal with whip and return routes.

Good stuff at the goal line from Texas' Jaylon Guilbeau.

Wetjen is a shifty player. Guilbeau doesn't take the bait. Comes over the top and gets the PBU. pic.twitter.com/m5Z0OD3pVV

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) January 26, 2026

Guilbeau has grown as a player and a person in his time at Texas. He went from being suspended from the Longhorns for a violation of team rules in 2022 to becoming a leader for the defense and even a father, with his daughter being born ahead of his senior season.

The Bad

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau after a Longhorns victory over | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Guilbeau's issues begin with his frame. On top of his below average height and weight, he has a 10th-percentile arm length for a cornerback.

He is a confusing player, as many of his strengths seem to also be weaknesses at times.

While he is tough, he is also a poor tackler. He posted a tackling grade of 56.4 or worse and a missed tackle rate of at least 19.6% in three of his four seasons.

While he is fast enough to play outside cornerback, he lacks recovery speed when beaten. His quickness also seems to leave him when he attempts to drive on routes.

His ability to attack routes after they break is also hurt by his slow post-snap processing. These factors combined to severely limit Guilbeau's on-ball production, as he only had one interception across his four-year college career.

Guilbeau has the skillset of an outside corner in the body of a slot defender and lacks the physical traits to warrant a team taking a chance on moving him to the outside.

Guilbeau did not test at the combine, suggesting a lack of faith in his athletic abilities.

Perhaps most damning is that Guilbeau was benched by defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkoski for the final two games of the season, being superseded by freshman Kade Phillips on the outside and unable to battle freshman Graceson Littleton for the nickel spot.

Final Grade

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau reacts after making a sack against the Florida Gators | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Overall, Jaylon Guilbeau is a scrappy but undersized defender who is most likely being penciled in as a special teams contributor by NFL teams.

If he does play in the secondary for an NFL team, it will have to be back in the slot. To Guilbeau's credit, his best season tackling came in his last year at nickel, where he put up his most tackles while registering a tackling grade of 74.5 and a missed tackle rate of 11.7%.

Final Grade: Round 6-7