Jalin Conyers, TE Arizona State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Conyers was a four-star recruit from Gruver High School in Gruver, Texas in the class of 2020

Arizona State avoided using tight end Jalin Conyers in obvious blocking situations, but the redshirt junior was a star weapon in the passing game. He could sneak into the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Jalin Conyers, TE Arizona State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior tight end from Gruver, Texas

Background: Conyers was a four-star recruit from Gruver High School in Gruver, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 72 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 250 for Rivals, and No. 175 for On3.com. Conyers was an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He transferred from Oklahoma to Arizona State after his true freshman season. Conyers made 37 receptions for 690 yards and ten touchdowns as a high school junior. He led Gruver to state championships in football and basketball and was the Best of the Panhandle Male Athlete of the Year in 2019. Conyers received an invitation to the All-American Bowl.

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a head laceration and concussion in a 2021 car crash

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12

Pros: Special teams experience on the punt return and field goal units, experience taking snaps in-line, out wide, and in the slot, added 15 lbs. since arriving at Arizona State, thick throughout frame, appears to have ideal arm length, rarely drops the ball or gets flagged, natural hands catcher, quick off the line, skies high or gets low to make receptions, uses his size to out-duel defenders at the catch point, extends to high point the ball over defenders, battles for yards after the catch, plants foot and makes nice open field cuts with the ball in his hands, would-be tacklers bounce off him, defenders struggle to tackle him high, steps through arm tackles, developing stiff arm, shows effort as a blocker, drives his legs through contact as a run blocker, size to pop defensive backs on screens and outside runs

Cons: Not twitchy or very agile, lacks the speed to threaten defenses vertically, some false steps in release, limited ability to snap routes off on a dime and generate natural separation, creates limited separation, ball security can be too loose, holds ball too far away from his body as a runner, benefited from some schemed touches, must take better angles to blocks, Arizona State preferred to use Case Hatch instead of Conyers in clear run situations, pad level should be lower when blocking, needs to sustain and drive his block for longer, outperformed by teammate Messiah Swinson in pass pro, footwork and hand placement in pass pro, driven back by edge rushers who void his hands

Overview: Conyers has special teams experience on the punt return and field goal units. He splits time evenly between playing in-line and lining up in the slot while occasionally taking snaps out wide. Conyers added 15 lbs. since arriving at Arizona State. He’s thick throughout his frame with long arms. The Oklahoma transfer is a natural hands catcher who high points the ball in contested catch situations or gets low to the ground to snag underthrown passes. Conyers uses his size and length to out-duel defenders at the catch point. The redshirt junior is quick off the line but occasionally suffers from false steps in his release. He fights for yards after the catch, pinballing off would-be tacklers. Defenders struggle to tackle Conyers high on his frame, and smaller players often slide off his lower body. He’s also developing a stiff arm that will allow him to shed more tackles. Conyers plants his feet to execute some nice open field cuts that leave defenders grasping at air. The former four-star recruit shows effort as a blocker. He drives his legs through contact as a run blocker and has the size to wipe out defensive backs on screens and outside runs. However, Arizona State preferred to rely on other players in clear in-line blocking situations. The Sun Devils turned to Case Hatch for run blocking assignments. Conyers’ teammate, Messiah Swinson, often outperformed him in pass protection. For Conyers to continue developing as a blocker, he must take better angles to blocks, maintain a lower pad level, and use his hands and grip strength to sustain his blocks longer. His footwork and hand placement in pass protection need significant work, and he doesn’t know how to combat edge rushers. Traditional 3-4 outside linebackers or 4-3 defensive ends easily overwhelm Conyers and drive him back into the quarterback. The Texas native isn’t a twitchy or very agile athlete. He lacks the speed to threaten defenses vertically, and coverage-style linebackers will stick to him throughout his route. Conyers doesn’t generate much separation with his route running since he struggles to snap routes off on a dime and execute sudden cuts. His ball security must improve as he often holds the ball too far away from his body.

Overall, Conyers is still a work in progress, but he has an impressive build that dominates in contested catch situations and breaks tackles after the reception. Conyers is only an average athlete for the position, and he’ll need to take several big steps forward as a blocker to be a viable in-line starter. Fortunately, he’s already made significant strides since arriving at Arizona State.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot tight end with in-line potential

Round Projection: Late Third to Early Fourth

Size: 6'4", 265 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 05-21-23