Jaelen Strong: Scouting Report (with GIFs)
Pros, Cons, and a Summary of Jaelen Strong
Oct 18, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jaelen Strong (21) on the sidelines prior to the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeated the Cardinal 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Athletically, Strong is nearly a clone of Miles Austin.
At 6’2″, 217 pounds and 32 1/2″ arms, Strong has good, but not great size for a wide receiver.
Where he excels, though, is in the athleticism department. Strong posted a 42″ vertical and 123″ broad jump, with a 4.44 40-yard dash at the Combine.
Pros
- Great flexibility and body control
- High-points the ball very well
- Excels making contested catches
- Breaks tackles, picks up yards after the catch
- Fights through contact on routes
- Sideline awareness, can get two feet in bounds consistently
- Solid size, plus athleticism
- Good ball tracking skills
- Uses body to box out corners to make catches
- Back shoulder fade
Cons
- Can be passive off the line of scrimmage
- Lackluster effort at times
- Struggles to separate
- Concentration drops
- More of a body catcher, not natural with hands
- Solid top-end speed, but slow acceleration
- Route running is unpolished
Summary
Strong is an intriguing prospect to say the least. He’s been projected to go as high as #15 to the Niners and as low as the top of the 3rd round by others.
His highlight tape looks good because of the array of contested catches he hauled in at Arizona State, but the reason why so many of those catches were contested to begin with is because he struggles to separate from his matchup.
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There are a few reasons for this. First, Strong is simply just an average route runner. He flashed great ability to release off the line of scrimmage at times, but he was definitely inconsistent in this regard.
His routes were often rounded, and not sudden. While he does have very good top-end speed, he takes long strides, so it takes awhile to get up to that speed.
Strong’s two skills that will translate the best are his sideline awareness/ability to get two feet in bounds on tough catches, and catches in traffic. He uses his body well to box out defenders, which should make him a at least a solid possession receiver at the next level.
If Strong is available for the Raiders in the second round, he would be one of the better choices amongst the WR’s. He’s got potential to be a low-end #1 WR because of his size and athletic ability. More realistically, Strong will probably end up a good number two option.
What are your thoughts on Strong? If WR is the pick at #35, of the realistic options, would you prefer him or someone else? Let us know in the comments below.