49ers NFL Draft Profile: WR Jalen Reagor
Seeing as free-agency starts on Monday and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and the San Francisco 49ers haven’t even talked about a new contract, it’s safe to say he won’t be returning to the team in 2020. That leaves the 49ers with need at the position which will likely be addressed in the NFL Draft.
Sure, the organization could explore the open market, but with only about $13 million in cap space waiting until late April would be the more efficient route.
TCU wideout Jalen Reagor looks like a viable option for San Francisco and was my first-round pick for the team in last week’s post-combine mock draft. While his statistics don’t line up with some of the other top prospects in the draft, that’s more indicative of the poor quarterback play he had to deal with than a reflection of pass-catcher’s skills.
Reminder, he participated in the infamous 2018 Cheez-It Bowl where the Horned Frogs threw for 28 yards and had four interceptions.
Nonetheless, here’s more on Reagor as a draft prospect:
Strengths
Route Running: He can run every route in the tree and makes very crisp, sharp cuts while doing so. Executing double-moves isn’t a problem for him and he can run them without having to slow down which makes it very difficult for defensive backs to stay with Reagor. Off the line of scrimmage, he varies his speed and attacks the corner’s leverage which can make defensive backs panic and help create more separation.
Speed: Good luck trying to catch Reagor after the catch as he can turn on the jets to break safeties’ angles, and has some good change of direction skills to make guys miss in the open field. He also has good speed to break cornerbacks’ cushion and be a legitimate deep threat who commands safety help. The fact that his 4.47-second 40-yard dash time was considered “disappointing” should tell people a lot about how explosive he is on tape.
Versatility: Reagor pretty much did it all for TCU offensively. He played both outside and slot receiver, served as the team’s kick and punt returner, and even took some snaps at running back and as a wildcat quarterback. The Horned Frogs also gave Reagor the ball in the running game on end-arounds, similar to how 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan used Deebo Samuel this past season.
Weaknesses
Hands: Pro Football Focus credited him with 16 drops in three years, including seven in 2019. A lot of this has to do with a lack of concentration as he has a tendency to take his eyes off the ball at the catch point. Given how bad the team’s quarterback play was, it’s frustrating that Reagor wasn’t able to take advantage of every opportunity that was given to him, and he’ll have to be more consistent at the next level.
Zone Awareness: Far too often, he fails to recognize where the holes are in zone coverage and alter his speed to take advantage of the open areas. This could be a sign of a low football IQ and is something that has to improve, as he’ll face more complicated defenses in the NFL than he did while playing in the Big 12. Luckily, awareness is an area that can be improved upon with better coaching at the next level.
Strength: Far too often, defensive backs were able to get their hands on him within five yards of the line of scrimmage and force re-routes. Back in August, he was listed as one of Bruce Feldman’s college football freaks with some impressive weight-room strength, so this was surprising to see on film. At the combine, Reagor weighed in at 206 pounds, which is 11 pounds heavier than what he played at in college and the added mass should help him hold his ground on Sundays.
49ers Fit
With Sanders practically a lock to play in a different uniform in 2020, drafting Reagor would be the perfect replacement. He can take on the role of Sanders as an interchangeable piece. Kyle Shanahan would have a ton of fun with Reagor in his offense. He just loves having versatile players that he can psych defenses out on.
While he won't be able to replicate the leadership that Sanders had, Reagor would be great from a production standpoint. He and Jimmy Garoppolo will be able to find a connection fast as Garoppolo is one of the top quarterbacks at targeting the middle of the field.
