STRENGTHS
Jalen has the most upside of any Tight End in this draft class. He is a very good pass blocker and his length, speed, and quickness will make him a nightmare matchup in the red zone on passing downs. He is a long, quick/twitch athlete with excellent feet and lateral agility. Jalen’s effort to block in the running game is commendable. His ability to block in the open field is excellent. Jalen has very good hand/eye coordination and a BIG pass-catching radius. He is a big and aggressive run after the catch receiver. Jalen has the athletic talent and pass-catching hands to make the big play at any point on the field. He also has the pass blocking talent to give his quarterback the time in the pocket to make the big play. Jalen has the “potential” to be as impacting as former Charges Antonio Gates.
CONCERNS
If I want to nit-pick I can say that he is not a great run blocker but his effort is outstanding and he could get better. Jalen has the lower body type of a receiver and long legs so, getting better run blocking, might be asking too much of him. He also needs to learn better communication skills when running his pass routes. By that I mean, learn to read defenses on the run like a quarterback, think like a quarterback, be one with his quarterback. When that happens, he will become a weapon on passing downs.
BOTTOM LINE: 2.19
Jalen could be scary good as soon as he studies the game and pays more attention to the details of his position. He reminds me a lot of former Chargers Tight End Antonio Gates and yes, I am suggesting that with the right quarterback and play-caller, he could have the same impact in the passing game as Antonio had. Jalen is a better blocker than Antonio was but, Antonio was a much smarter and better route runner than Jalen is right now. Jalen has the athletic talent to be effective against all types of defenses, zone coverage, or against single coverages but he has to work harder on his route running intelligence. If he will work hard and improve that aspect of his game there will be no stopping his impact on the team that selects him.
