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 to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Missouri S Jaylon Carlies.
#1 JAYLON CARLIES/S MISSOURI – 6026, 227 POUNDS (SENIOR)
NFL Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jaylon Carlies | 6026/227 | 10″ | 34 1/4″ | 80 5/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.50 | 1.59 | 4.46 | 7.03 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’5″ | 34.5″ | 22 |
*NFL Combine and Pro Day measurements
THE GOOD
– Excellent size and length for safety position
– Experience at both safety positions, in the slot, and at middle linebacker
– Easy fluid backpedal and ability to change direction in short areas
– Can cover a lot of ground in the short and intermediate areas of the field
– Able to stay with receivers vertically with linear speed
– Uses his length and size to stay in phase with tight ends and can be a weapon in red zone coverage
– Very aggressive and tenacious run defender from a deep safety look
– Took on blocks and won the battle more times than not as a run defender
– Stood up offensive linemen at times as a run defender
– Shed blocks and made tackles on zone run opportunities
– Shot gaps with timing and burst
– Squares up his body as a tackler and plays with control and balance
– Zero penalties in 2023 (and only two in his career)
– Nine career interceptions and very few dropped ones
– Good special teams experience on all coverage and return units
THE BAD
– Plays with straight-line speed and struggles to transition efficiently
– A little tight in his hips with his long, compact frame that showed when he had to change direction
– Has a difficult time sinking his hips and turning quickly enough on routes
– Could get stuck in position in coverage situations when receivers broke off their route
– At times, you could see him take poor angles and pursuit to ball carries in the run game
– Vision and awareness weren’t always consistent in being able to read and react
– Needs to play with better eye discipline to get himself into the right places
– Can overrun angles to runners and miss tackles in the process
– Doesn’t appear to have great spatial awareness in zone coverage situations
BIO
– Born 09/13/2001 (22 years old)
– 2,479 total snaps (1,345 FS, 507 SS, 320 slot CB, 248 outside CB, 55 edge blitzer)
– 465 special teams snaps (180 FG block, 158 punt coverage, 68 kick return coverage, 55 punt return coverage, 4 kickoff coverage)
– 40 starts and played in 48 games over four year career
– Career: 220 total tackles, 11.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 9 INTs, 9 PDs, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 72.2% completion percentage, 96.1 passer rating allowed
– 2023 season: 64 total tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, 5 PDs, 71.4% completion percentage, 116.9 passer rating allowed
– 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl participant
– 21.88 mph speed was the fastest during Shrine Bowl week
– 2022 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
– Three-star HS prospect, according to 247Sports.com, out of West Orange High in Orlando, FL
– Played wide receiver in HS and set a single-game record for yards in school history (241)
– In his senior year, he asked his coaches to play safety and wide receiver
– Lettered in track (sprints and relays) and won the silver medal at the 2019 state championships in the long jump
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Jaylon Carlies may be one of the most interesting defensive players in the 2024 draft class with his highly desirable combination of size and athleticism, which was reflected in his strong athletic testing measurables but also showed up consistently on his tape. Carlies came out of Florida as a 3-star recruit and made spot starts at safety in his freshman season (2020).
He ended his Missouri career with 40 starts. In 2022 and 2023, Carlies was a versatile safety playing on the back end in split-safety looks and as the high-post safety aligned in the box and as an overhang defender. There were nickel snaps where he played the linebacker position and snaps where he matched up man-to-man on tight ends. Carlies was the middle-of-the-field defender in some Cover 2 snaps and a flat defender in Cover 3 looks.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 22, 2024
He was sometimes deployed as an edge blitzer and showed the downhill burst to blow up running backs in the backfield.
He is a muscular, well-built linear athlete with downhill burst and acceleration. There were snaps where he showed outstanding closing speed and force to generate in his open-field or behind-the-line-of-scrimmage tackles.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 22, 2024
While he doesn’t have great hip fluidity and change-of-direction ability out of transitions, many examples throughout his tape showed he could flip his hips, open his stride on the back end, and plant and drive on routes in front of him. Carlies has extensive experience as a versatile safety playing on the back end, in the box and as an overhang defender. He had multiple responsibilities in zone coverage and matched up man-to-man on tight ends and running backs. Carlies is quick to read and diagnose, stays with assignments, and displays a good head for the ball.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 22, 2024
He well with cornerbacks to bracket receivers in the middle of the field. He plays with a high motor that takes him sideline to sideline and the physicality to run through ball-carriers on contact. Carlies plays like a tough box safety who is best playing close to the line of scrimmage and between the numbers. He’s an explosive run defender who squares into tackles and easily brings opponents down at the point of attack.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 22, 2024
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 22, 2024
He naturally swims through congestion, and when he has an angle on the ball carrier, he has the stored potential energy to accelerate into his tackles. His stocky build and power stop runners in their tracks. His length also allows him to contest blocks and wrap up ball carriers in pursuit.
The strengths of his game are very apparent, but the weaknesses are just as glaring, especially in coverage situations. Carlies was unfortunately asked to play out of position at Missouri, where he frequently occupied the high safety position, and that’s not where he’ll be asked to play in the NFL. He struggles with being able to stay in phase and mirror receivers with any kind of man coverage responsibilities. Carlies has the straight-line speed, but he’s not able to quickly turn on receivers to stay with them vertically or on out routes. He often has to use make-up speed to try and recover, but faster NFL receivers are going to give him issues because he won’t be able to as easily.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 22, 2024
He also tends to give receivers and tight ends too much room at the line of scrimmage to release, which could be a byproduct of his hip tightness. With the big hits and strong tackler that he is, Carlies does show poor diagnosing in pass recognition and run fits to know where to be all the time. He needs to be able to process and recognize plays pre-snap to give himself a chance to be near the ball more often. He also tends to be a reckless tackler in the open field, with 44 missed tackles over his career.
CONCLUSION
Jaylon Carlies was a fun evaluation and his tape is littered with big plays, especially as a tackler all over the field. He had modest production during his time at Missouri, but was also asked to play a position that didn’t play to his strengths. This is a guy who will most likely have to live as an overhang defender in a box safety role or could potentially make the switch to the inside linebacker position.
He has all of the traits to do so but may need to continue to bulk up for that role. He has gained almost 40 lbs. of weight and muscle since being at Missouri, so it may not even be realistic to have him do that. He reminds me a lot of Divine Deablo coming out of Virginia Tech in college. A guy who could play as a thumper and short area box safety in the NFL could also make the conversion to inside linebacker as a late-round selection to a team that is willing to be patient. It could have dividends pay off in the future. I personally like him best in a role like Kameron Curl had with the Washington Commanders, where he can play a conventional safety position and serve as a big nickel as well.
Projection: Mid-Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 – Backup/Special Teamer (Fifth Round)
Games Watched: vs Florida (2023), vs Tennessee (2023), vs Georgia (2022), vs Wake Forest (2022)
