Over the next couple of months, we will be looking at a handful of draft prospects leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.
With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.
Today, I take a look at Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185 pounds
Class: Junior
Hometown: Irmo, SC
Career: Had 112 catches, 1,742 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns in 29 career games. Holds Tennessee single-season records for receiving touchdowns (15). Won the Belitnikoff Award in 2022, given to the best wide receiver in college football.
Strengths: Has a serious amount of rocket fuel stored in his cleats to create vertical havoc. Devours cushions off the line. Fluent deep route designer against man coverage who can adjust route stems without setback. Has an easy time selling the home run ball to backtrack on curls and stop routes. Occupies safeties that would otherwise be concerned with filling a gap in the run game. Scored five touchdowns in an upset win against Alabama last season. Has the length to create a larger margin of error for the quarterback. Takes simple glance throws for big profits after the catch.
Weaknesses: One year of relevant production on a limited route tree. Slender build. Spent nearly 90 percent of his snaps in the slot. Lacks experience against press due to the coverage tendencies against Tennessee’s exaggerated spread scheme and his big-play threat. Release package may be underdeveloped for this same reason. Could have trouble adjusting to the shrunken spacing at the pro level.
Final Word: Jalin Hyatt was the most explosive playmaker in the country during his final college football season. His speed forced defenses to plan their math around stopping his vertical abilities, opening up the rest of the offense. That alone comfortably projects him as a dangerous complementary piece. But to truly project the bounds of his potential, Hyatt will need to show he can learn fast and develop new strengths in an attack that won’t always offer him the vast space he enjoyed in college.
Fit Likelihood: High
Grade: 2nd round
Film Highlights
Jalin Hyatt's acceleration is wild. He slow played it out of the stack quite a few times this game, but when the DB moves to the outside he has his chance to get to the middle of the field. Safety is late getting over, no chance once he has the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/gJ8OVoxMyn
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) March 1, 2023
Jalin Hyatt is slowly becoming one of my favorite players in this year’s draft
Effortless speed. pic.twitter.com/U4S9XxsBR2
— Max Loeb (@loebsleads) February 23, 2023
There's a growing sentiment that either you love Jalin Hyatt WR #11 or you hate him (feels that way anyway). I think he's getting a bit over-hyped, but I still like the player. He's shown good work at the top of his routes to freeze DBs and use the space provided to him pic.twitter.com/nDZWuZLVDM
— Daniel Harms🏈 (@InHarmsWay19) February 20, 2023