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 on Tulane WR Jha’Quan Jackson.
#4 JHA’QUAN JACKSON, WR, TULANE – (R-SENIOR) 5090, 188 POUNDS
SENIOR BOWL INVITE
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jha’Quan Jackson | 5090, 188 | 8 7/8″ | 30 7/8″ | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.42 | 1.55 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’10” | 32″ | 12 |
THE GOOD
— Possesses great play speed and explosiveness
— Shows great burst off the line and gets up to top speed quickly
— Played inside the slot and also out wide in college
— Generates separation when stacking defenders up the seam or down the sideline
— Breaks out of his routes quickly to get a step of separation over the middle
— Does a good job finding soft spots of the zone to give his quarterback an open target
— Dangerous on shallow crossers and screen passes as a YAC threat
— Skilled kick and punt returner who follows his blocks and is a threat to take it the distance
— Also took handoffs in college and was productive with the ball in his hands
THE BAD
— Lacks ideal size, height, and length at the position
— Will get manhandled at the line of scrimmage by press corners who jam him
— Needs more nuance as a route runner, as he relies mostly on his speed to separate
— Has some focus drops on his tape
— Will get separated from the ball by defenders over the middle
— Isn’t the most physical receiver when it comes to breaking tackles and blocking
— Will square up defenders as a blocker but doesn’t bring much aggressiveness or desire to the table
— Will be a 24-year-old rookie
BIO
— Redshirt Senior prospect from Luling, LA
— Born May 15, 2000
— Uncle is NFL Hall of Fame S Ed Reed
— Goes on YouTube and watch “Legacy” with Ray Lewis for pre-game motivation
— Three-star recruit according to Rivals
— Appeared in eight games in 2019 and made two receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown
— Led the team with 31 receptions for 425 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020, also had two carries for 31 yards and a score, also fielded 16 punts for 216 yards and five kickoffs for 110 yards
— Had 17 receptions for 294 yards and one touchdown in 2021, along with four carries for 26 yards; also fielded 15 punts for 132 yards and 27 kickoffs for 551 yards
— Had 33 receptions for 554 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, also fielded 21 punts for 213 yards and one touchdown, as well as five kickoffs for 111 yards
— Started ten games in 2023 and had 26 receptions for 439 yards and four touchdowns, along with five carries for 51 yards; also fielded ten punts for 110 yards
— Second-team All-AAC (2022), Third-team All-AAC (2023)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Jha’Quan Jackson may not be the biggest receiver on the block or have had the gaudy stat lines in college, but don’t let that confuse you to think that he’s not a tantalizing prospect in this draft class. Jackson is a versatile playmaker, having scored touchdowns as a receiver, returner, and rusher for the Green Wave during his time at Tulane. He has the speed and burst to put defensive backs in the rearview mirror and flip the field when the ball is kicked to him with room to run. He’s a two-time All-AAC selection over the past two seasons and fits a mold of what the NFL is looking for at wideout.
When you pop in the tape on Jackson, you see a small yet dynamic receiver that has the juice to put pressure on opposing defenses. He gets up to top speed quickly and can threaten to take the top off the defense down the field as well as up the seam. He can get on top of defenses in a hurry as he does in the clips below against South Alabama, scoring two deep touchdowns in the game as he runs a skinny post in the first rep, beating the corner inside for the score. On the second rep, Jackson sells that he is blocking on the reverse, hitting the jets as he blows past the defender in coverage to get a few steps of separation for the walk-in touchdown.
Jackson uses that same speed to quickly get in and out of his breaks, challenging defenders to stick with him on double moves and inside crossers. In the clip below against Ole Miss, he executes the out and up from the slot, putting the safety in a bind as two receivers enter his area. Jackson gets open for the catch as he makes the play over the defender in the end zone for the score.
Jackson’s speed also shows up near the line of scrimmage as a YAC threat with the ball in his hands, having the acceleration to get up to top speed quickly and the vision to evade defenders and get into open grass. We see that on this rep against Southern Miss, where Jackson catches the screen pass and works to get to the sideline, following his blocks as he also slips away from defenders as a runner along the boundary, turning on the juice as he sees the end zone to reach pay dirt for six after the quick pitch and catch near the line of scrimmage.
Jackson’s vision and ability to create in the pen field is also highlighted in his return abilities, having fielded both punts and kicks during his time at Tulane. He does a great job finding openings the return team is giving him and using his athleticism to work to get to the corner, as we see in this punt return below against the Rebels, fielding the punt and immediately making a defender miss as he takes off toward the right sideline, following his blocks as he well into enemy territory for a successful return.
Jackson’s speed is his calling card as a receiver, but he also does a good job working to the open quadrants of the field when playing against zone coverage and presenting his quarterback with an open target to throw the ball to. Watch the rep below against Ole Miss, where Jackson runs the post/over concept in between the levels of coverage in the middle of the field, catching the ball and turning upfield as he picks up additional yards after the catch, taking the ball inside the 10-yard line.
When it comes to negatives on Jackson, he tends to hear footsteps as a pass catcher and has several concentration drops as well as plays where he is easily separated from the ball show up on tape. In the first clip, we see Jackson get open on the slant route, but he drops the pass placed right in his hands by his quarterback as the ball is just a tad behind him. Jackson feels the defender closing on him and is unable to make the catch for the first down. In the second clip, we see Jackson stretch the seam and go up for a ball in the air, having the pass knocked out of his hands by the defender, who launches himself into Jackson to force the incompletion. Jackson shouldn’t take much fault for this play, as the defender could have been flagged, but it goes to show that Jackson lacks the physical size and strength to routinely make tough catches over the middle of the field in contested coverage.
CONCLUSION
Jha’Quan Jackson is an undersized yet speedy pass catcher who can win vertically as a deep threat as well as in space thanks to his speed and burst after the catch. He can be a versatile chess piece that can play in the slot, be used on jet motion handoffs and reverses, as well as make an impact as a kick and punt returner. Still, Jackson lacks ideal size and play strength and can struggle over the middle of the field making plays in traffic, making the fit for the slot at the next level a tough one if he doesn’t become more consistent at generating separation as a route runner and making those catches in traffic.
When coming up with a pro comparison for Jackson, Taylor Gabriel is a very similar player with similar size and speed, being an undersized pass catcher who made an impact with the Atlanta Falcons as a speedy slot target who could challenge defenses vertically as well as take carries on jet motions. Gabriel went undrafted in 2014, and Jackson likely will be a late Day Three pick of a priority UDFA as he attempts to show teams he can contribute as a core returner for them as well as develop into a quality slot option at the next level.
Projection: Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.5 End of Roster/Practice Squad (6th Round)
Games Watched: 2023 – vs Ole Miss, vs South Alabama, at Southern Miss
