Rakim Jarrett, WR Maryland: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Jarrett was a five-star recruit from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. in the class of 2020

Rakim Jarrett and fellow Maryland wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. form one of the most prolific duos in college football. However, neither All Big-Ten Honorable Mention has earned an All-Conference selection yet nor hit the 1,000-yard mark. Jarrett and Demus should be highly motivated to set new personal bests as they look ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Rakim Jarrett, WR Maryland: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior slot and outside receiver from Palmer Park, Md.

Background: Jarrett was a five-star recruit from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 27 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 19 for Rivals, and No. 30 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 22nd in the nation (four-star) with an 87 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Jarrett caught 60 passes for 950 yards and seven touchdowns. The previous year, he totaled 763 yards and 11 touchdowns. His team won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship in 2017. Jarrett was a 2020 Under Armour All-American selection and the 2019-20 Gatorade Player of the Year in the District of Columbia. He originally committed to the LSU Tigers before switching to Maryland.

2021 Production: 13 games, 62 receptions, 829 yards, 5 touchdowns + 9 kick returns, 158 yards

2020 Production: 4 games, 17 receptions, 252 yards, 2 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: Two-time All Big-Ten Honorable Mention (2020 and 2021)

Pros: Experience as a kick returner, fluent as a slot or outside wide receiver, willing to throw his weight around as a blocker, active and engaged as a blocker, comfortable working the sideline, speed to eliminate cushion in off-man coverage, loose lower body, smooth athlete, varies release tempo, quick feet, battles for YAC despite slim frame, excellent adjustments for low throws and sideline throws, capable of breaking arm tackles, works to help his quarterback when the play breaks down, extends for catches outside his frame, acceleration, some shiftiness, feet are active to help avoid press coverage

Cons: Almost no production in contested catch situations, career drop rate close to 10%, lots of screens and manufactured touches, lacks technique to sustain blocks, smooth athlete but not overly dynamic, lacks the mass to consistently break tackles, I don’t think he’s 6'0", catch radius, not twitchy or sudden, doesn’t consistently make defenders miss in one-on-one situations, hands aren’t active against press coverage, not a true burner, fails to consistently threaten defenses deep, elusiveness is average at best, route tree is underdeveloped (especially beyond ten yards of the line of scrimmage), routes remain somewhat monotone

Overview: Jarrett is unofficially listed at 6'0", 190 lbs. Maryland turned to the former top-30 recruit when Dontay Demus Jr. suffered a knee injury last season. Jarrett has the acceleration to generate YAC in space and the strength to break arm tackles. He’s not a twitchy player capable of stringing together multiple jukes in space. He specializes in short and intermediate routes where it’s easy to find space against zone and off-man coverage. Jarrett makes excellent adjustments to the football, including going low, dragging his feet on the sideline, and skying to save potential overthrows.

Overall, Jarrett is a high energy player who always looks for work as a blocker and bails his quarterback out of tough situations. However, the former five-star recruit lacks a dynamic athletic profile and is underdeveloped in the technical aspects of playing wide receiver. He’s a high upside project player who likely has to play in the slot at the next level.

Role & Scheme Fit: Primarily a slot receiver (Y) in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Early Third to Mid Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-06-22