2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, 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 Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright.

#0 JAYLEN WRIGHT/RB TENNESSEE – 5104, 210 POUNDS (JUNIOR)

NFL Scouting Combine

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

– Great speed in the open space
– Explosive and athletic jump cuts
– Low pad level allows him to run through contact and fall forward
– Runs with good balance to resist contact
– Good start-stop ability
– Elusively running through gaps
– Hard to stop when breaking through
– Reads blocks well and shows great vision for developing gaps
– Reliable hands when asked to run routes out of the backfield
– Solid route running, should see more work as a pass catcher in the NFL

THE BAD

– Slightly built, lacks power
– Does not create much after-contact
– Occasionally misses gaps with a patient running style
– With five fumbles (four in 2022), ball protection could be an issue
– Not the back you want in pass protection

BIO

– 21 years old at the NFL Draft (April 01, 2023)
– 12 starts in 34 games for Tennessee
– Career rushing stats: 368 carries, 2.297 yards, 6.2 average, 18 touchdowns
– 2023 rushing stats: 137 carries, 1.013 yards, 7.4 average, 4 touchdowns
– Career receiving stats: 30 receptions, 171 yards, 5.7 average
– Missed Senior Bowl due to continued injury rehab
– Three-star recruit out of Durham, North Carolina
– Track & Field star at his high school
– Set a country record in 2019 with 6.29 seconds in the 55m dash
– Led a split backfield the last two years, taking over duties for Jabari Small
– All-SEC Second Team 2023 (AP)
– ESPN College Football Midseason All-America Team 2023
– Ranked No. 24 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak’s List 
– Models his game after Alvin Kamara
– Majoring in sport management
– Likes to get into broadcasting after football

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Jaylen Wright is the type of running back who could go all the way on any play. He is a patient runner who eventually explodes through the gap and can shift into a higher gear when given a rushing lane. With his long speed, he will outrace defensive backs, which he also showed in his impressive testing at the NFL Combine.

He allows his offensive linemen to get into blocks and will read them constantly. Following his lead blockers in a disciplined manner, he will always use his full-field vision and have an eye for cutback lanes. Great jump cuts will get him through the slightest gap and around defenders in the open space. 

As an elusive runner with elite start-stop ability, he is hard to tackle when given space. Often, he likes to bounce outside and race along the sidelines. Wright will not run through tackles and does not have the body type to do so. He relies on his shiftiness to get additional yards.

When running through contact, he bursts through the hole with a relatively low pad level. Therefore, he usually falls forward, even with his slight build. He has the contact balance to withstand initial impact, which allows his teammates to come in and push. 

Wright is obviously lacking in physicality and definitely needs to work on his blocking. As a lead blocker in the next play, he is barely doing enough for the quarterback to read his block and walk into the end zone. He will not wow anyone with tough blocks or truck anyone by any means.

Talking about physicality, I certainly need to mention his weakness of blocking in pass protection. As a smaller running back, he is struggling to pick up blitzes from linebackers. Even if he is reading protection well from inside to outside, Wright is lacking quickness and sometimes comes late. The result is that he is missing blocks and barely slowing down defenders on the way to the quarterback.

CONCLUSION

Jaylen Wright is a fun back to watch, as he creates so much in the open space. His vision and athleticism are already on a pro level and should get him snaps in an NFL offense early. His best fit would be in a zone scheme, where his patient running style will allow offensive linemen to initiate blocks that he only needs to read and run from. With his tendency to bounce outside, it should be no problem to install him on outside zone running plays.

Other than that, he could make a name for himself in the open space, even if defenders will be more athletic and better tacklers on the next level. He could suffer from gaps being tighter and not giving him the opportunity to get into the second level.

Projection: Mid Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.8 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round)
Games Watched: at Florida 2023, at Kentucky 2023, vs Connecticut 2023