NFL Draft Profile: Rakim Jarrett, Wide Receiver, Maryland Terrapins
#5
Pos: WR
Ht: 5116
Wt: 192
Hand: 0938
Arm: 3138
Wing: 7578
40: 4.44
DOB: 1/24/2001
Hometown: Landover, MD
High School: Saint John's College
Eligibility: 2023
Rakim Jarrett
Maryland Terrapins
One Liner:
Jarrett is a quick, high energy player who always looks for yards after the catch and is a threat to beat defenses downfield, but he is limited by his size and route tree.
Evaluation:
Maryland turned to Jarrett when Dontay Demus Jr. suffered a knee injury last season. The former five-star recruit has the acceleration to generate yards after the catch (YAC) in space and the strength to break arm tackles. He’s not a twitchy player capable of stringing together multiple jukes in space, but there is some shiftiness to his game. He primarily wins on short and intermediate routes where it’s easy to find space against zone and off-man coverage. Jarrett makes excellent adjustments to the football, including going low, dragging his feet on the sideline, and skying to save potential overthrows. He also has the speed to burn defenses on deep routes. According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Jarrett clocked 22.9 miles per hour on the GPS this summer. That speed contributes to big plays as over a quarter of his yards in 2021 came on routes 20 or more yards downfield. Jarrett’s speed quickly eliminates the defensive back’s cushion in off coverage, and he uses varied route and release speeds to lull defensive backs before attacking them. However, that speed doesn’t always translate to the field as Jarrett’s small stature makes him take more steps to cover ground. The junior receiver is an active and willing blocker who has no issues getting his hands dirty in the running game. Jarrett is a smooth athlete with little to no tightness in his lower body, which helps him excel in YAC situations. When pressed, Jarrett’s footwork helps him escape corners, but he would benefit from using his hands more in these situations. His route tree needs some serious development. While Jarrett is well built, he lacks the strength to consistently break tackles and his size is a significant limiting factor in contested catch situations. His willingness as a blocker is sometimes nullified by his poor form, which makes it difficult for him to sustain blocks. Drops pop up every now and then on his tape. Jarrett plays both in the slot and outside for Maryland, but he’ll likely need to play in the slot 90% of the time at the next level.
Grade:
3rd Round
Background:
Jarrett was a five-star recruit from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 27 recruit according to the 247Sports Composite board, No. 19 for Rivals, and No. 30 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 22nd in the nation (four-star) with an 87 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Jarrett caught 60 passes for 950 yards and seven touchdowns. The previous year, he totaled 763 yards and 11 touchdowns. His team won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championship in 2017. Jarrett was a three-time First-Team All-WCAC selection. He was a 2020 Under Armour All-American selection and the 2019-20 Football Gatorade Player of the Year in the District of Columbia. Jarrett originally committed to the LSU Tigers before switching to Maryland. He was an All Big-Ten Honorable Mention in 2020 and 2021.
