Jaylen Wright, RB Tennessee: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Wright was a three-star recruit from Southern High School in Durham, N.C. in the class of 2021
Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright was one of the top testers at his position at the NFL Combine. Wright’s long speed and ability to play on all three downs make him a likely top 100 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Jaylen Wright, RB Tennessee: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior running back from Durham, N.C.
Background: Wright was a three-star recruit from Southern High School in Durham, N.C. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 659 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 515 for On3.com. Wright was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. His high school senior season was canceled because of COVID-19. As a junior, he carried the ball 89 times for 901 yards and five touchdowns with four games of 100 or more yards. Wright led Southern to a 10-2 record and the Big 8 3A Conference Championship. He also competed on the track and field team, winning the 55-meter dash indoor state title as a sophomore. His best 55-meter time was 6.29 seconds. He’s also credited with running the 100 meters in 10.85 seconds and 200 meters in 22.08 seconds. Wright was born on April 1, 2003.
Injuries & Off-Field: Injury kept him out of 2020 state indoor track championships in high school, battled minor injuries as a freshman – including a lower body injury, limited contact in 2022 preseason camp with a quad injury, limited in 2023 spring practices, exited 2023 UTSA game and didn’t return, missed Senior Bowl rehabbing from an in-season injury
Awards: 2023 Second Team All-SEC (Associated Press)
Pros: Age, reduced fumbles in 2023, patient footwork while hole develops, long speed to hit home runs, top speed to pull away from defensive backs, he’s gone once he reaches the third level, continues to accelerate when most RBs would start losing steam, erases pursuit angles downfield, dead leg, side steps tackle attempts, sells shoulder and head fakes well, powerful and sharp lateral jump cuts to make defenders miss, explodes off his plant leg, drives legs through contact, survives low arm tackles, few drops in college, speed gives him upside as a pass catcher, big asset in pass pro in 2023, good job diagnosing threats in pass pro, active and engaged blocker, squares up in pass pro
Cons: Minimal special teams experience, four fumbles in 2022, injuries, not twitchy, agility falls short of elite which limits elusiveness, not going to create something from nothing, not going to survive much contact behind the LOS, lower body leg drive to plow through tackle attempts falters, lacks the bulk to create against stacked boxes consistently, vision can be poor at times, misses cutback opportunities, could hit the hole with more juice, initial burst is average, speed is more built up than instantaneous, not able to get wide and turn the corner consistently, takes inconsistent angles to blocks, occasionally lunges in pass pro, runs a limited route tree
Overview: Wright is a young prospect who showed growth in 2023 by cutting down on his fumble totals from the past season. He has fumbled five times in his past 283 carries and has minimal special teams experience. Wright displays patient footwork while waiting for the running lane to develop. His calling card is his long speed, which he uses to break massive runs. His top speed allows him to pull away from defensive backs and erase pursuit angles downfield. Wright’s initial burst isn’t elite, and his speed sometimes appears more built up than instantaneous because he is hesitant to hit the gas without a clear running lane. However, it’s clear his speed is rare because he is still accelerating more than 20 yards downfield while many plays pursuing him have already reached their top speeds or are starting to slow down. Most running backs can’t maintain their top speeds for as long as Wright. He just doesn’t get caught from behind once he gets to the defense’s third level. His testing at the NFL Combine confirmed his explosive athleticism. The North Carolina native isn’t twitchy and lacks high-end agility and elusiveness, but he makes defenders miss with a dead leg, side steps, shoulder and head fakes, and powerful jump cuts. Wright explodes laterally at a sharp angle off his plant leg on jump cuts. He doesn’t have the build to create something from nothing against stacked boxes or when he gets hit behind the line of scrimmage, but he still drives his legs through contact. The former three-star recruit’s vision is one of his biggest flaws. He misses cutback opportunities and occasionally opts for more crowded running lanes. Wright approaches the hole too conservatively. Sometimes he needs to just get downhill instead of waiting for an opportunity that might never come. There are instances on tape where he loses a race to the sideline and fails to turn the corner on outside runs. Wright rarely dropped passes in college and should play a larger role in the passing game at the NFL level because of his speed. He still needs to develop his route tree to be a more consistent threat. Wright put up a lot of good tape in pass protection in 2023. He correctly diagnoses threats and is an active and engaged blocker who frequently squares up to defenders. Sometimes he lunges into blocks or takes a poor angle on his block attempt, but he’s still an above-average performer in pass protection.
Overall, Wright has the sharp jump cuts and long speed to be a massive home run hitter in the NFL, and his value as a pass catcher and in pass protection makes him a viable three-down player. Wright doesn’t have the size to operate in every scheme, and some of his physical shortcomings make him better suited to operate in a two-man rotation.
Role & Scheme Fit: Outside zone or gap running back in a two-man rotation
Round Projection: Mid to Late Third Round
Size: 5'10.5", 210 lbs. (NFL Combine)
Submitted: 03-19-24