From now until the 2025 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 Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes.
#85 JACKSON HAWES, TE, GEORGIA TECH (SR) – 6044, 253 lbs.
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jackson Hawes | 6044/253 | 9 1/8 | 32 1/8 | 79 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.82 | 1.56 | 4.40 | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’1” | 34.5 | 16 |
The Good
— Good size and solid length
— Route running has potential to be more consistent
— Solid hands and is good adjusting up and down for throws
— Adds yards after the catch; hard to bring down
— Useful in pass protection; stays engaged
— Loves pancakes; good leg drive and hips to finish blocks
— Agility to get outside, lead, or even pull from the inline position to block
— Comes to balance and plays under control on second level and screens
The Bad
— Not a lot of targets over his career
— Route running needs work
— Needs to use his size to his advantage against smaller defenders in coverage
— Hip drop and turn to face QB need to get quicker
— Core strength is adequate; can add play strength
— Will lunge occasionally
— A touch slow on reach blocks to get across the face of the defender
— Quicker defenders can beat his lateral agility
Bio
— Career: 51 receptions, 566 yards, 6 TD
— 2024: 16 receptions, 195 yards, 0 TD, 1 KR for 17 yards
— 41 games/28 starts
— 2020-23 at Yale; 2024 at Georgia Tech
— 2022: second-team All-Ivy League selection
— 2020 season cancelled due to COVID
— In high school, he was a four-year letterman in football and basketball
— Missed Week 7 game vs North Carolina due to undisclosed injury
— Birthday 12/6/01 (23 years old)
Tape Breakdown
Jackson Hawes is a player with good height and weight with solid length and hand size. A multi-year starter at Yale before transferring to Georgia Tech, he aligned in-line, in the slot, outside, on the wing and as the offset fullback.
In the passing game, he was not targeted a lot while at Georgia Tech, but he was active with routes on all levels of the field. From a 3-point stance, he has solid snap quickness and good acceleration into his routes. From a 2-point stance when in the slot or out wide, he shows good footwork and acceleration. There is potential for his route running. He showed flashes of really good routes, but the consistency isn’t quite there yet.
Hawes is not targeted here but I like the route. Good footwork and the subtle push off at the top both create space. He needs to be more consistent here.
Against zone, he does well finding the open space. His hands are solid and he is good when adjusting up and down to throws. After the catch, one DB is not going to take him down. He added yards after almost every catch I viewed.
In pass protection, he was solid overall. He plays with good pad level and base and has good hand placement. His mental processing to pass off/pick up defenders is solid, and he showed good strength stonewalling blitzing linebackers. He has good mobility and sustain on bootleg blocks. They also used motion when he was lined up in the slot to put him into position with pass protection, which is something you don’t see a lot.
As a run blocker, he has a good motor and a hunger for pancakes. He displays good snap quickness, pad level and leg drive. On down/double blocks, he displays good effort and push to move defenders. On kick-out and wall-off blocks, he was good and showed good timing to the second level. There, he plays under control to break down and square up defenders.
Pancake cut-ups are seen here.
They used him in motion across the formation and as a lead blocker from the offset fullback position. In space, he had a lot of success sustaining and moving defensive backs and linebackers. His mental processing is good when it comes to picking up the most dangerous defender.
As a route runner, he is marginal using his size to be physical with defensive backs to create space, allowing defenders to stay in contact with him.
His hip drop is adequate, and he needs to get his head around quicker. In pass protection, he is adequate staying in half-man and can give up space inside. His core strength is decent, but he can get tossed by stronger defensive linemen. He will lunge at defenders with forward lean causing misses. On reach blocks, he’s a touch slow getting across the face of the defender on the backside. He is best engaging right away. If he doesn’t, he gives quicker defenders a chance to sidestep his block.
Conclusion
Overall, Hawes is an experienced tight end who aligned all over the offensive formation. He ran routes on all levels, showed capable hands and was difficult for one defender to take down. As a pass blocker, he was solid displaying good mobility, effort, and mental processing. He is a tenacious run blocker with good pad level and leg drive and looks to finish his blocks.
Areas to improve include using his size to create space when running routes, dropping his hips more efficiently and getting his head around quicker. Not showing the inside lane in pass protection, improving his core strength, and engaging sooner versus quicker defenders would help him out.
Hawes’ blocking ability will get him on the field immediately. He projects as a No. 2 tight end with the potential down the road to be a starter. He has ability as a route runner, but he just needs to be more consistent. The Steelers used multiple tight ends on over 40 percent of the plays this past season, and Hawes would be the second-best blocker right away. He could replace the MyCole Pruitt role and provide depth if Darnell Washington were injured.
For a player comp, I will go with Kaden Smith. Coming out, Smith was coming from a similar, pro run-game type offense and sustained blocks with good leg drive. He was a better route runner but needed work on creating separation.
Projection: Mid-Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 – Fifth Round (Backup/Special Teamer)
Games Watched: 2024 – Vs Florida State, At Louisville, Vs Notre Dame, At Georgia, Vs Vanderbilt
