Jalyx Hunt, Edge Houston Christian: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Hunt was a recruit from University High School in Orange City, Fla. in the class of 2019

Houston Christian edge rusher Jalyx Hunt started his career as a safety at Cornell. He is still a developmental traits-based prospect who needs to improve his play strength, but he has the versatility to warrant a Day 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft from a creative and patient coaching staff.

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Jalyx Hunt, Edge Houston Christian: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year senior outside linebacker from DeBary, Fla.

Background: Hunt was a recruit from University High School in Orange City, Fla. in the class of 2019. He did not receive a star rating or grade from 247Sports, Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. Hunt played safety at Cornell before he transferred to Houston Christian for the 2022 season. As a high school senior, he made 20 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns. He earned All-County honors at wide receiver as a senior and was his team’s Offensive MVP and co-captain. Hunt was his team’s Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. He also lettered in basketball and track and field, earning honorable mention All-Area honors as a senior captain on the basketball team. Hunt is a former Junior Olympic Games AAU National Champion in the long jump and triathlon and was an All-American in the high jump in 2011. His father played football at Alcorn State and Mississippi.

Injuries & Off-Field: 2020 season canceled for COVID-19

Awards: 2022 Second Team All-Southland Conference, 2023 First Team All-Southland Conference, 2023 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, 2023 Stats Perform Second Team FCS All-American

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, special teams ace on coverage units, wingspan and arm length are excellent, room to build frame, impressive explosive and athletic testing, closing burst pops, straight line speed to run down ball carriers, good effort in pursuit, suddenness early in his release from the line, speed rush, massive strides to get up the arc quickly, active and quick hands, rip move, swim move into the B-gap, two-handed swipe, inside-out rush fakes, attacks the B-gap, good shimmy & shake to break down offensive tackles, long strides to exchange gaps quickly, long-arm move, generates speed to power off his long-arm, hand placement helps establish leverage and lock out linemen on power rushes, builds momentum on stunts, lowers pad level and bends around the outside, good fumble production over the past two years, QB spy upside, experienced in coverage, can take some snaps in the slot, reads the QB’s eyes to anticipate throwing lanes, good awareness in zones, can carry running backs on wheel routes, stacks linemen with his long arms, beats guards to their landmarks on gap runs, flies down the line as a backside run defender, cut down on missed tackles in 2023

Cons: Penalized five times over the past two years, competition level, lean and narrow frame, lower body might be more than a year away, high-hipped, play strength, inconsistent timing the snap, urgency getting upfield leads to losing contain and opening gaps, elevated pad level in his two-point stance costs him leverage, bend is good but not elite, misses opportunities to bend at the top of the arc, pushed up and around the pocket, rush derailed by chip blocks, offers nothing vs. double teams, heavy punches stall his rush, doesn’t break clamps or anchors at a high level, lacks diverse counters to revive rush, play strength against WR stalk blocks is disappointing for an edge, struggles to anchor in the run game, displaced by linemen pushing vertically, sealed inside on run plays, occasionally overruns plays, gets caught QB watching and out-leveraged in coverage

Overview: Hunt is a special teams ace with experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. His frame still reflects his background as a safety. He’s lean and somewhat narrow but has excellent arm length and room to add mass to his frame. The major concern is that his lower body might be more than a year away from reaching NFL strength, but his special teams experience and versatility should help clear a path to the field during that time. Hunt is only two years into his role as a full-time edge rusher, so any team drafting him is buying into his traits and long-term projection. At Houston Christian, Hunt primarily aligned as a 5-tech and wide-9 rusher in a two-point stance, but he also took snaps lined up over the slot. This is a role he can play in moderation at the NFL level. Hunt’s impressive explosive and athletic testing translate to the field. His closing burst pops on tape, and his straight line speed and effort in pursuit are impressive. The former Cornell transfer shows flashes of suddenness with his get off, but he is inconsistent timing the snap. His pass rush plan includes a speed rush, rips, swims, two-handed swipes, and long-arms. Hunt quickly gets vertical with long strides that also allow him to perform inside-out rush fakes and exchange gaps quickly when he wants to attack the B-gap. He sets up his B-gap counters well by pushing vertically before bouncing inside. The former unranked recruit has active and quick hands that he places well to establish leverage and lock out linemen on power rushes. He generates speed to power off his long-arm, but he doesn’t break clamps or anchors at a high level. Hunt is still adding counters to his game to revive his rush once it stalls. He lacks elite bend and sometimes misses the opportunity to dip around the outside, but he does lower his pad level and display quality bend at the top of the arc. His high hips might play a role in limiting his bend. Hunt’s focus on the pass rush often leads to him getting too far upfield and opening running lanes. He is a tall prospect, so operating out of a two-point stance causes some leverage issues. The Florida native’s play strength is not NFL-caliber yet. His pass rushes are derailed by chip blocks and heavy punches or clamps, and he offers no answers for double teams. These strength concerns also show up when Hunt faces wide receiver stalk blocks in the slot. He is starting to develop the technique to stack linemen in the run game with his long arms, but he’s a penetration-style run defender who lacks the mass to anchor against NFL linemen. Linemen working vertically in the run game displace him downfield, and he is easily sealed inside for off-tackle runs. Fortunately, Hunt is a menace when he has space to operate. He makes plays in the backfield as an unblocked backside run defender and beats guards to their landmarks on gap runs. The All-Southland Conference selection is very experienced in coverage. He can easily play in the flat, handle shallow zone drops, or line up over and press the slot receiving option before flowing into a shallow to intermediate zone. Hunt reads the quarterback’s eyes to anticipate throwing lanes and displays good awareness in zone. He can also carry running backs on wheel routes. Hunt occasionally gets caught ball watching and gets out-leveraged in coverage.

Overall, Hunt is a versatile defender with a unique athletic profile, but he’s still learning to play outside linebacker. He is a multi-year project who needs to develop his technique and fill out his frame to withstand the rigors of run defense. Hunt has already shown great development for an edge rusher who recently only finished his second year at the position. He projects as a special teams contributor and passing down rotational rusher to start his career.

Role & Scheme Fit: Rotational pass rusher in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fifth to Early Sixth

Size: 6'3.75", 252 lbs. (NFL Combine)

Submitted: 04-10-24