From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to 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 Oregon DL Jamaree Caldwell.
#90 JAMAREE CALDWELL/DT OREGON – 6020, 342 POUNDS. (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jamaree Caldwell | 6020/341 | 9 1/2 | 32 1/4 | 77 3/4 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Built like a prototypical nose tackle with dense and squatty build
– Explosive coming off of the ball and shoots gaps quickly
– Strong upper and lower body to anchor against double teams and run over interior OL
– Plays with consistently good pad level and gets low to win leverage
– Big pop in his hands when he hits guys
– Centers struggle to hold anchor against him
– Great bull rush and long arm move with some swim moves performed well
– “Four hands guy” as he stacks and sheds 1-on-1 battles easily
– Good play recognition and awareness to react fast to run or pass plays
– Has the lateral agility and light feet to shoot down the line to get after runners
– Significant short-area quickness to get into the backfield quickly
THE BAD
– Short arms and wingspan necessitate the urgency to win early for him
– Doesn’t have a lot of twitch to elude or go around blockers
– Needs to work on having more effective hand counters when his bull rush fails
– Typically uses only a couple of pass rush moves and struggles if they don’t win
– The more tired he became later in games at times, the higher his pad level got
– Struggles to get off of drive and combo blocks if he doesn’t win initially
– Doesn’t wrap up as tackler consistently and lunges too much
– Sack production came when he wasn’t playing as a NT at Houston
– Injury history concerns may scare off teams for a guy that big
BIO
– Career: 68 total tackles, 18 TFL’s, 8.5 sacks, 15 missed tackles, 47 run stops, 3 PD’s, 2 forced fumbles
– 2024-25 season: 29 total tackles, 5 TFL’s, 0 sacks, 7 missed tackles, 21 run stops, 3 PD’s, 1 forced fumble
– Missed five games in his career with injuries prior to 2024 season.
– 2024 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
– 2023 Second Team All-Big 12
– 2022-23 played defensive tackle for Houston University before transferring to Oregon for 2024
– 2020-21 Caldwell began his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College before spending a season at Independence Community College
– 2019 zero-star recruit out of Newberry HS, South Carolina
– Caldwell played left guard and left tackle in HS and was originally a running back
– He’s the son of former South Carolina team captain and defensive lineman Cecil Caldwell
– Jamaree’s uncle (Larry Werts) was an eighth round pick at linebacker for the Green Bay Packers in 1981
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Jamaree Caldwell is a testament to perseverance, work ethic, and finding a way to succeed. He was enrolled and going to play for Hutchinson Community College right out of high school, but ended up going to Independence Community College where he weighed nearly 360 lbs. He played 4 games there and began to receive JUCO offers, but eventually was able to land at Houston University. He got his weight down and played two seasons there as a part of a defensive line rotation where he was a very effective player that lined up almost exclusively as a 3 or 5-tech lineman, which is very rare for a guy his size. Caldwell decided to transfer for his senior season to Oregon University where he was a big-time impactful NT for them and took the new role he was asked to play in stride.
He’s a very thick guy with a lot of power and mass packed into a shorter, stout frame. This provides him an inherent leverage advantage against interior linemen, especially centers.. Despite his build, Caldwell shows explosiveness off the line to post quick wins and really move guys with ease.
He is No. 90 for Oregon in the following clips:
His upper body power is very evident and his hands really pack a punch and they have to because he doesn’t have the requisite length to win a wingspan war in the trenches. Caldwell really likes to forklift guys up off the ground and does so consistently to move them backwards and sideways. His bull rush power drives guys into the pocket and makes the quarterback have to go right into the team’s edge rushers at Oregon.
Caldwell’s pass rush plan includes straight two-armed bull rushes, club-swims, long-arms, swims, and two-handed swipes. Here he is at the Senior Bowl showing his true “dancing bear” footwork and speed to get around guys.
These pass rush moves were even more evident at Houston where he had a runway and pass rush plan. He has the versatility to win from the 0-1i positions to the 3-5 tech positions. There were even times when he was outside the tackle rushing, as a 342 lb. man. Just incredible footspeed for someone that size. Watch this counter spin move lined up over the offensive tackle:
He is No. 93 for Houston in the following clips:
The crux of his lack of height and frame limit his athleticism and ability to win around blockers though. Caldwell doesn’t threaten to generate pressure on a down-to-down basis. He lacks the counters to capitalize on his bull rush and keep his momentum rolling when the lineman re-anchors. He can lose early in plays when offensive linemen land the first punch in their exchange. He lacks the length and re-acceleration to get his rush going again when this happens.
Caldwell stacks, peaks, and sheds one-on-one blocks very well. He’s able to change the line of scrimmage when in 1:1 exchange with interior linemen. He can still improve his timing when anchoring against double teams. He wants to power through and split double teams instead of sitting in a gap and letting the play come to him. Caldwell can absorb double teams without giving ground before lowering his pad level and breaking through the gap between the linemen.
He has very fast short-area acceleration when he sheds and goes for the running back, which results in him generating a good number of tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage.
This aggressive mentality comes with some drawbacks. Caldwell’s upfield pursuit compromises his gap integrity and limits his impact as a space eater on some reps. He doesn’t have the greatest lateral range to keep up with outside zone running plays or when he’s down blocked. This can result in him getting stifled or taken out of the play.
CONCLUSION:
Caldwell is a girthy, twitchy, and strong nose tackle who offers a lot of flexibility for a team. He’ll most likely be a two-gapping monster in the middle, but he’s a guy you don’t necessarily have to bring off of the field on third downs because he gives you plenty of flashes as a pass rusher. His power, low center of gravity, and short-area quickness make him a very unique nose tackle prospect. B.J. Raji is a guy who Caldwell shares traits with as that huge man at the center of a defense who can hold down the fort, but also give you some pass rush versatility to make an impact.
In a strong defensive tackle class, Caldwell presents a unique blend of size, power, quickness, versatility, and experience that should be attractive to any team, regardless of defensive front and scheme, where he can come in and be an immediate player. Either as a rotational defensive tackle aligning out wide or being a two-gapping nose tackle. I would definitely think that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be doing their homework on this guy because he can wear a lot of hats and he has the potential to not just be a two-down player. If you’re looking for a quality nose tackle, Caldwell may be your guy.
Projection: Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.8 – 3rd Round (Rotational Player/Potential Starter)
Games Watched: vs Ohio State (2024), vs Washington (2024), vs Texas (2023), vs Cincinnati (2023)
