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Jalen Tolbert
By: Nate Christian (@NateNFL)
Position: WR
College: South Alabama
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Age: 23
247 Rating: 0.7731 (2 Stars)
The Rundown:
The 415th ranked wide receiver in his recruiting class, Tolbert has defied the odds and is now waiting to hear his name announced this weekend at the NFL Draft. Playing for his hometown team, he has used the last five years to hone his craft and become a truly well-rounded wideout. He checks a lot of boxes on film. However, because he played in the Sun Belt, is he truly ready for the NFL?
College Production:
Tolbert’s true freshmen year was cut short by a preseason injury, but by the end of his redshirt sophomore year, he was leading the Jaguars offense with nearly 20 yards per reception and 6 touchdowns. Tolbert helped the Jaguars find some offensive explosiveness in his third year as he would show out as one of the best receivers in the conference with a 64/1,085/8 stat line and earned First-Team All-Sun Belt. He stayed for one more season in 2021 to play with South Carolina quarterback transfer Jake Bentley and put together 82 receptions for 1,474 yards and 8 touchdowns, winning the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year award. Now as he goes to the NFL, he finishes as one of the best receivers ever to play at South Alabama.
Strengths:
- Solid Route RunnerFor a Group of Five receiver, Tolbert runs some nice routes. He is able to stop on a dime while also deceive corners with head movements and stutters. He also has no problem getting off the line. He showed up big against Tennessee, an SEC defense, and made it look like he belonged on the field with the 3 and 4-star recruits across from him.
- 50/50 WinnerEven though South Alabama’s quarterback play improved in 2021, a wide open Tolbert still had to wait on the ball and win contested catch situations when he should have not had to do so. Tolbert shows a great ability to track and attack the ball in the right moment to win over his defenders. Good concentration in the air and strong hands helped him show that he can win in contested catch situations.
- ProductiveIt may have been the Sun Belt, but Tolbert had seven games over 100 yards in 2021 and finished strong with 24 catches for 442 yards and two touchdowns in his final three games (including 7/143/1 against Tennessee). While many “small school” prospects take time to transition into the NFL, I believe Tolbert is ready to make an impact on Day 1 in the NFL.
Weaknesses:
- A Couple DropsTolbert makes some very impressive catches throughout his tape, but there are also times he drops some easy passes. It’s easy to chalk it up to some ducks from the quarterback and the volume of passes headed his way, but you still want to see him secure the passes that make it into his hands. As long as this issue is cleaned up, there are very few issues with Tolbert’s game.
- Transition into the NFLWhile I think there is little to be worried about here, I do have to make a note that it is a big jump from the Sun Belt Conference to the NFL. I would establish that this is less of a weakness and more of just a note. I think Tolbert is ready for the jump, but expectations should be checked at the door.
Projected Round/Contract:
As with any other player as this point, we are waiting on draft capital. Tolbert will likely hear his name called on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but it will make a big difference if he goes in the second or third round. Either way is truly a win for the receiver out of South Alabama, but if he gets the second round draft capital I’m hoping for, it is truly a sign of good things to come. If he goes in the middle to late second round you can expect his contract to be under 2 million a year.
Team Fits:
Even though Tolbert is one of my favorite prospects in this draft class, I’m not going to tell you that he’s set up to become the Alpha for your favorite team. Tolbert projects well as a high-end WR2 in an NFL offense and there are plenty of teams that could use the extra push behind their current superstar. The first team that comes to mind if the Tennessee Titans. A.J. Brown ($1,413,092) is the bona-fide WR1 for that team, but the Julio Jones experiment failed, and the Titans lack depth at the position. Insert Tolbert across from Brown and it gives you a silky smooth operator across from one of the most physical receivers in the league. A combination like that could be extremely efficient for a run-first offense and they could make it happen in the third round if Tolbert is still around.
Another team ready for a strong #2, the Indianapolis Colts at pick #73 could be eyeing up a partner for another physical receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. ($2,153,213). A Pittman/Tolbert combination could pair nicely with Matt Ryan ($30,000,000). Even though Indianapolis is another run first offense with a physical #1 wideout, Tolbert has the ability to fit into just about any scheme. However, this type of offense could be the best for him to make the leap into the NFL.
Make sure to follow Nate Christian over on Twitter at @NateNFL and check out all the work he is doing with the Dynasty Rewind (@DynastyRewind).