Michael Pratt may be generating the most buzz of any Tulane player entering the 2024 NFL Draft, but Jha’Quan Jackson was a big reason why his quarterback posted some big numbers in 2023.
Does Jackson’s scouting report suggest he could be an immediate contributor as a slot receiver entering the NFL?
Jha’Quan Jackson’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’9″
- Weight: 188
- Length: 30 7/8”
- Hand: 8 7/8”
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Tulane
- Current Year: Senior
The NFL bloodline is strong for Jackson, who is a nephew of former Baltimore Ravens Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. Knowing this makes it easy to see some of the playmaking similarities when Jackson gets the ball in his hands in space. Jackson was a three-star prospect during his prep days at Hahnville before taking his talents to Tulane.
Jha’Quan Jackson is a WR prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 5.32 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1493 out of 3188 WR from 1987 to 2024.
Pro day pending.https://t.co/ooiuwssR1U pic.twitter.com/bcNBIrjILQ
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 27, 2024
Jackson made an impact early in his collegiate career with 31 receptions for 425 yards and eight TDs in his true sophomore year. He failed to take another big step in production, though, producing 76 receptions, 1,287 receiving yards, and eight TDs through the final three years at Tulane combined.
Jackson’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Fluid mover and instant accelerator; first step off of the line has plenty of juice.
- Can be a versatile weapon as a YAC threat.
- Flashes suddenness and burst out of breaks; can stay at top speed on routes that don’t require sharp cuts.
- Can provide some vertical pressure to an opposing secondary when operating out of the slot and working against heavy-footed safeties or linebackers trying to carry a slot receiver up the seam.
Weaknesses
- Almost exclusively a body catcher; this could lead to more deflected passes at the NFL level.
- Lack of play strength, overall size, and limited arm length could cause big issues when operating against physical defenders in contested catch situations in the league.
- Hands are inconsistent when trying to catch passes away from his frame.
- Doesn’t display consistent stem IQ or detailed footwork at the breakpoint, which could lead to physical corners re-routing him quite easily in the NFL.
- Is not going to generate a ton of broken tackles due to a lack of play strength.
- Doesn’t possess the length, catch radius, or play strength to operate outside on a regular basis.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Jackson flashes some of the desired acceleration and suddenness scouts love when trying to project a successful receiver project into the NFL. You may notice the word “flashes” continues to appear in this scouting report because the consistency of the other aspects of his game is a bit less than ideal.
His lack of size, less-than-ideal play strength, and bad tendency to body catch passes leave him with a small margin of error to succeed as a slot receiver in the NFL. Unfortunately, the lack of consistent detail as a route runner, inconsistent use of his hands at the top of his route stem, and limited catch radius make it difficult to project a surefire contributor to an NFL receiving core.
He projects as a Day 3 prospect with the athleticism to occasionally contribute as a slot player with some additional appeal as a YAC contributor in the manufactured touch game in space who could eventually factor into an 11-personnel mainstay if he develops the rest of his game.
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