Jalen Wayne, WR South Alabama: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Wayne was a two-star recruit from Spanish Fort High School in Spanish Fort, Ala. in the class of 2017

South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert went in the third round last year. Another Jaguar has a chance to hear his name called in this year’s draft. Jalen Wayne is a college veteran with good size and some ability to threaten defenses vertically. He projects as a Day 3 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Jalen Wayne, WR South Alabama: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Sixth year senior outside receiver from Spanish Fort, Ala.

Background: Wayne was a two-star recruit from Spanish Fort High School in Spanish Fort, Ala. in the class of 2017. He was the No. 3,140 recruit according to 247Sports. Wayne didn’t receive a star ranking from Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. He transferred to Spanish Fort High School for his senior year. That season, he amassed 28 receptions for 469 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 279 yards on his way to Honorable Mention All-Region honors from AL.com. Wayne helped his team to a 10-3 record and a spot in the quarterfinals of the state 6A playoffs. Wayne also played basketball at Spanish Fort High School. He helped the team reach the semifinals of the state 6A tournament. Formerly, Wayne played on the Faith Academy basketball team that went to two state 5A tournament semifinals and one state championship game. The Alabama native committed to South Alabama over other teams that recruited him, including Arizona, Troy, and Western Kentucky. Wayne’s uncle is Reggie Wayne. The older Wayne amassed 2,510 receiving yards in four seasons with the Miami Hurricanes before being selected 30th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He played 14 seasons with the Colts, amassing 1,070 receptions for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns. Wayne won a Super Bowl, made six Pro Bowl teams, and was a three-time All-Pro selection. The younger Wayne was born on May 13, 1999.

2022 Production: 13 games, 58 receptions, 816 yards, 9 touchdowns

2021 Production: 12 games, 53 receptions, 630 yards, 2 touchdowns

2020 Production: 11 games, 33 receptions, 418 yards, 1 touchdown

2019 Production: 9 games, 5 receptions, 62 yards, 2 touchdowns

2018 Production: 4 games (Redshirt Year)

2017 Production: 12 games, 3 receptions, 53 yards

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed time with a Jones fracture (foot) in 2019, missed time during the 2022 spring with an injury

Awards: 2021 Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt, 2022 Second-Team All-Sun Belt

Pros: Experience playing in the slot and out wide, special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units, good size and build, room to add additional mass, quickness off the line helps him beat press, good acceleration early in his route, strong understanding of holes in zone, willing and physical blocker who squares up well to the defender, able to displace defensive backs as a blocker, physical to play through contact in the route, ball tracking, body control, makes catches outside his frame with natural hands, rises to meet the ball at its apex, appears to have adequate arm length to expand his catch radius, routes are sharp and defined, hip sink at the top of his routes, showcases some elements of a vertical threat, drew several downfield pass interference calls on defenders in 2022, varies route tempo and stride length

Cons: Age, ten drops in the past two years, eight penalties committed in the past two seasons, examples of double catches on film, three fumbles between 2020 and 2021, competition level, not a true burner, doesn’t generate consistent vertical separation, offers a large target in press coverage, underdeveloped release package leaves him vulnerable to press, not a sudden or twitchy athlete, can take better angles to blocks, runs routes at half speed when the play isn’t designed to go his way, not elusive in the open field, sometimes defensive backs slip his blocks, limited YAC upside, doesn’t break many tackles

Overview: Wayne is unofficially listed at 6'2", 207 lbs. 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.

Overall, 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. While Wayne played a significant role in South Alabama’s vertical passing game, his best projection to the NFL might be as a possession receiver.

Role & Scheme Fit: X or Z receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Mid Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 01-06-23