How much faster can you get? Reagor has speed, and then he's got a second gear that makes him such an intriguing prospect. What makes him a top-three WR prospect in 2020 is how he rounds out the rest of his game, which is what we'll dive into in this draft profile.
College Career Stats (2017 - 2019)
Reagor came onto the scene strong at TCU as a freshman, and then doubled his freshman output during his sophomore campaign. While his numbers were not as great during his final season as a junior, you started to see his game evolving into the elite level.
Reagor finished his collegiate career with 148 catches, 2,248 yards and 22 receiving TDs. Given his versatility, he was used as a rusher 35 times for 324 yards and two scores. Reagor also returned two punts for a TD this past season. He accounted for 27 total touchdowns in his three-year college career.
Tale of the Tape
The Good
Track Star Speed and Acceleration
Faster, or just as fast as the popular Henry Ruggs III -- Reagor is a flat out track star. Watching his speed and acceleration, I thought of Tyreek Hill a ton. It seems like he can go 0-60 in 1.5 seconds. His acceleration allows Reagor to set up defenders and rack up the RAC. On film, Reagor is consistently beating defenders by an easy three to seven yards. With the ball in his hands, Raegor can kick it into a turbo gear, that is second to none. He truly possesses elite speed and acceleration.
High Point Catch
The best receiver in this draft at high point catches; Raegor plays much bigger than his 5'11 height would lead you to believe. What makes Tyreek Hill so special other than his speed, is his ability to go up for a ball, given his shorter height. Raegor has that same ability, and potentially even more. If you watch his tape, you will see at least one catch each game that leaves you saying "wow". His elite body control allows him to go up and get after the ball, as well as turning at the last second to pluck the ball out of the air.
Versatility and Route Running
The versatility trait is quickly becoming popular in today's NFL. Being able to line a guy up all around the offense keeps defensive coordinators up at night. Raegor gives an offensive coordinator that ability. Raegor has lined up as the X, Z and slot receiver positions, and can take sweeps off the edge for 12-99 yards. He rarely gets caught up at the line of scrimmage because of the footwork ability to get a free release and head into his route. Raegor is also used a ton at the line of scrimmage, catching both screens and blocking for ballcarriers.
RAC and Punt Return Ability
Two separate things, but similar in the sense that Raegor is elite with the ball in his hands. He is super tough and can burn past defenders. Raegor has a great cut that leads defenders too far in a direction to recover to make a tackle; this can be attributed to his acceleration and speed. The 21-year-old also has great field vision and knows where to go and how to set defenders up.
The Bad
Concentration Catches
Jalen sometimes has the tendency to turn upfield before fully securing a pass. While he has great hands, Raegor has dropped a few heaters on tape. I would not say that Jalen necessarily has poor catching, he just needs to finish looking the ball into his hands before trying to turn on his jets.
Weak 2019 Stats
If you simply look at the stat line from his 2019 season, you would think Raegor is simply a mid-round WR with speed. However, numbers do not provide the all-important context. He played most of his games with a freshman quarterback, that was average at best. There was also a carousel at QB, that didn't allow Raegor to gain any chemistry with whoever was throwing him the ball. Interestingly enough, I believe poor QB play may have helped Raegor's tape because he would consistently have to go up for underthrown balls after he burnt his corner.
Consensus
Before watching Jalen Raegor film, I was a big believer in taking one of the big-named SEC wideouts (like CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III or Tee Higgins). After watching this man's film, Raegor might be my number three WR coming out of the draft. His speed/acceleration married with his route running and high point catch ability has led me to believe that Howie may even have to consider trading up for this wideout. Obviously, there may be some hidden personal or character issues with him that is not public knowledge, but this is all assuming there are no behind-the-scenes issues. However, from pure talent, if Raegor is still on the board at 15, I'd trade up to draft him. (especially ahead of the Cowboys).
This concludes our third draft profile, to look back at our previous profiles click below!
