NFL Draft Profile: Jalen Wayne, Wide Receiver, South Alabama Jaguars
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Jalen Wayne
South Alabama Jaguars
#0
Pos: WR
Ht: 6014
Wt: 210
Hand: 0938
Arm: 3218
Wing: 7838
40: 4.51
DOB: 5/13/1999
Hometown: Spanish Fort, AL
High School: Spanish Fort
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Wayne is a well-built receiver with surprising quickness, but his route running creates more separation on short to intermediate routes than his speed does on vertical routes.
Evaluation:
The Alabama native has special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units. He primarily lines up out wide for South Alabama but also has experience playing in the slot. Wayne boasts good size and a sturdy build with some additional room to add mass to his frame. He’s quick off the line, which helps against press coverage. Wayne displays good acceleration early in his route and is physical enough to battle through early contact. He’s a willing and physical blocker who displaces defensive backs. The former two-star recruit displays excellent ball tracking and body control. He makes catches outside his frame with natural hands and rises to meet the ball at its apex. Wayne’s ample arm length expands his catch radius. His routes are more often sharp than rounded, and his hips sink well at the top of routes. There are some vertical elements to his game, which led to South Alabama targeting him downfield frequently in 2022. Wayne sets corners up for vertical routes with varied tempo and stride length since he lacks elite speed. The sixth-year senior drew several pass interference calls on defenders on downfield routes this year because of his build-up speed and play strength. He has a strong understanding of holes in zone. Wayne is one of the older prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s never been an elite producer against non-Power Five competition at the college level. The All-Sun Belt selection comes with some drop concerns, and there are examples of double catches on film. He’s not a true burner, which means he doesn’t generate consistent separation on vertical routes. Wayne isn’t a sudden or twitchy athlete, and he struggles to make defenders miss in the open field. Despite his well-built frame, Wayne doesn’t break many tackles. He only offers limited upside in yards after the catch situations. Wayne represents a large target in press coverage, and his release package isn’t developed enough yet to combat physical press corners consistently. He needs to take better angles to defenders as a blocker. Defensive backs sometimes slip off Wayne’s blocks despite the wide receiver’s physical advantage.
Grade:
6th Round
Background:
Jalen Wayne is a returning starter for South Alabama. In 2021, Wayne was an honorable mention all-Sun Belt Conference selection. Wayne earned second-team all-SBC recognition from Pro Football Network and was named fourth-team all-conference by Phil Steele Publications. He posted 53 catches for 630 yards ranking second on the team in each category with totals that surpassed his three-year career figures entering the season. In 2020, Wayne played in all 11 games, making five starts and finishing third on the team with 33 receptions for 418 yards. His uncle Reggie Wayne played 14 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts.
