2024 NFL Scouting Report: Alabama WR Jermaine Burton

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Alabama WR Jermaine Burton.

#3 JERMAINE BURTON, WR, ALABAMA – (SENIOR) 6000, 196 POUNDS

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Possesses a strong frame relative to his size
— Has good play speed and explosiveness
— Can stretch defensive vertically and stack defenders at the top of his route
— Accelerates well after the catch, being a legit YAC threat
— Played both outside and in the slot
— Does a good job exploding off the line out of his stance
— Gets on top of defender’s toes, eating away at their cushion
— Can drop his hips and whip back to the football quickly out of his breaks
— Stronger than what his size would suggest at the catch point
— Makes his fair share of combative catches in traffic
— Displays good body control and spatial awareness along the sideline
— Can leap up and make catches outside of his framework
— Has strong hands to make catches in the air away from his body
— Doesn’t mind doing the dirty work over the middle, making the tough catches
— Plays with that competitive demeanor you like to see at the position

THE BAD

— Size is only average with a lack of length
— Isn’t overly shifty as a route runner or after the catch
— Routes can be segmented and can use refinement
— Can round of routes or show less urgency when not the #1 target
— Lack of size impacts ability to come down with 50/50 balls at a regular rate
— Displays little desire or willingness as a blocker
— May get penciled in as a slot-only receiver at the next level

BIO

— Senior prospect from Calabasas, CA
—  Born June 28, 2001 (age 22)
— Rated as a four-star prospect by all major outlets, 2020 Under Armour All-America Game invite
— Committed to Georgia out of high school and caught 27 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns in 2020
— Played in 12 games as a sophomore in 2021 and totaled 26 catches for 497 yards and five touchdowns
— Transferred from Georgia to Alabama in 2022 and played in 13 games and made 40 receptions for 677 yards and seven touchdowns
— Played in 14 games in 2023 and made 39 catches for 798 yards and eight touchdowns
— Led the SEC and ranked sixth nationally with 20.5 yards per catch in 2023

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Jermaine Burton has an interesting story where he’s had the pressure of playing for two powerhouse teams in the SEC. The California native committed to Georgia out of high school, where he managed to win a National Championship in his sophomore season with the Bulldogs. However, Burton opted to transfer to rival Alabama to enter a hopefully more open passing attack, putting together two strong seasons with the Crimson Tide. Burton managed to make an impact with both schools, being known for his ability to stretch the field and win with his speed and explosiveness.

When you pop in the tape on Burton, you see a receiver that was made to thrive in an aerial attack. He possesses good long speed and can get up to top speed in a hurry, eating the cushion of opposing defensive backs with relative ease. He does a good job stacking defenders vertically down the field and tracking the deep ball, as you can see in the clips below, getting loose behind the coverage in the first clip against Auburn for the walk-in touchdown bomb while managing to pull away from the safety at the last second against Texas in the second clip, hauling in the long-bomb touchdown pass over the shoulder.

For being a slightly undersized receiver, Burton does a great job of competing for the football at the catch point. He possesses great body control and spatial awareness along the sideline to make tough catches in coverage, as you see in this two-play sequence against Texas A&M. He makes the back shoulder grab in tight coverage while getting both feet down on the first play. In the second play, we see a similar situation as Burton runs a corner route toward the right sideline, getting the defensive back to pause for a split second at the top of his route as he breaks toward the boundary, getting both feet down as he reels in the catch.

Burton is also capable of making tough catches in traffic, coming down with passes while getting contacted by a defender attempting to break up the pass. Watch this rep against Tennessee where Burton gets the cornerback on his heels as he whips back to the football, setting up in the end zone to catch the touchdown pass. He makes the catch and gets lit up by two defenders bearing down on him in the end zone, holding on to complete the process of the catch for the score.

Here’s another example of Burton making a catch with a defender in close proximity on this over route against the Aggies, working across the field on third down and getting in a great position in the back of the end zone to make the catch with the defender right on him for the score.

Burton is a decent route runner who does a good job dropping his weight at the top of his routes as he comes back to the football. To a look at this rep where Burton gets vertical, quickly eating up the cushion of the defensive back. The defender starts to turn his shoulders toward the sideline as Burton hammers on the brakes, quickly working back toward the football to make the catch on the comeback route along the sideline.

Burton’s speed and explosiveness also make him a legit threat after the catch as well, being a threat to pick up yards after the catch if the defender isn’t there to tackle him at the catch. Take a look at this rep against Texas A&M, where Burton catches the slant route with the defender playing soft coverage, leaving him open over the middle for the catch. After securing the catch, evading three defenders he jumps out of the tackle attempt and scoots into the end zone for the score.

CONCLUSION

Jermaine Burton is an underrated name in this wide receiver class as his stats in college didn’t pop off the screen, but he was a dynamic playmaker who made the most of his opportunities when presented. He needs to continue to refine his craft as a route runner and show more desire as a blocker, but Burton has the juice to be a deep threat in the league and operate in all facets of the game from a solid YAC receiver to a guy that can be a reliable intermediate/red zone threat.

When coming up with a pro comparison for Burton, Christian Kirk came to mind as a player with a nearly identical frame, athletic profile, and skill set at the position. Kirk starred at Texas A&M as a deep threat who also could create after the catch, becoming a more well-rounded receiver at the NFL level that has lobbied those traits into a big contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

I foresee Burton operating in a similar way to start his career, being a quality backup/rotational receiver to start his career that can work his way into a full-time role either on the outside or in the slot, giving a team some juice and excitement at the receiver position. Pittsburgh could use more speed and slot-capable receivers on their roster, and Burton would make for a fun addition next to Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Calvin Austin III in the middle rounds.

Projection: Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.8 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round Round)
Games Watched: vs Texas (2023), at Texas A&M (2023), at Auburn (2023)