Written by Christian Lysek
I written scouting reports on some of my favorite players in this year's class, but I haven't gotten to Jalen Reeves-Maybin. An injury-plagued 2016 season has caused him to be lost in the shuffle of this year's class, but when he is healthy, he is a monster. Here's why:
Measurables:
Height- 6'
Weight- 230 lbs
Year:
Senior (22)
2015 stat line:
105 tackles (66 solo), 14 TFL, 6 sacks, 4 PDs, 2 FF
2017 Combine Performance:
None
Pros: Jalen Reeves-Maybin is an absolute animal on the field. He has great instincts and quickly reads the offense. He is a great tackler and delivers some bone-crushing hits. He is relentless on the field and has an alpha-dog mentality. He has the strength to shed blocks and stuff runs in the middle and the speed to tackle runners on the outside. Reeves-Maybin is also agile, so he is harder to elude than most linebackers. He also has the in coverage Reeves-Maybin spies, blitzes, or plays man coverage. He is a decent coverage guy because of his athleticism, and he is a good blitzer because he is a head hunter who cannot be stopped. Plus, Reeves-Maybin can contribute on special teams as a coverage man.
Cons: Reeves-Maybin's biggest issue is that he barely stayed on the field in 2016. He dealt with a shoulder injury, which is concerning for a linebacker who is undersized. Reeves-Maybin is generally a good tackler, but he also misses a few when he dives for the ankles of a runner. He needs to figure out how to take out those runners. Reeves-Maybin also struggles when covering athletic tight ends and running backs more than a few yards down the field. He gets too handsy and doesn't have the hips to cover far downfield while playing man.
Pro Comparison: Kwon Alexander, LB, Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Kwon Alexander was a 4th round pick for the Buccanneers in 2015, and he was a steal. Alexander is a ferocious hitter and a great athlete. He may be undersized, but he makes up for it with tenacity. Alexander struggles to stay on the field due to suspensions and injuries, but when he is on, he is a great linebacker. Maybin could be a steal just like Alexander was.
3 teams that could use him: The Oakland Raiders need a new linebacker and Jalen Reeves-Maybin fits the Raiders style of physicality and speed. He could be an intriguing late-round option. The Lions also need a new linebacker after DeAndre Levy's departure, and Reeves-Maybin is just as good of an athlete as Levy was. The Houston Texans will eventually need to replace Brian Cushing, and Reeves-Maybin would fit right in the Texans fearsome defense.
Conclusion: Jalen Reeves-Maybin is an old school, tenacious linebacker in an undersized body. Injury concerns will make him a day 3 pick, but he could be a steal for whoever takes him.
Stats from www.sports-reference.com, Combine Data from Jalen Reeves-Maybin Player Profile on NFL.com
I written scouting reports on some of my favorite players in this year's class, but I haven't gotten to Jalen Reeves-Maybin. An injury-plagued 2016 season has caused him to be lost in the shuffle of this year's class, but when he is healthy, he is a monster. Here's why:
Measurables: Height- 6'
Weight- 230 lbs
Year:
Senior (22)
2015 stat line:
105 tackles (66 solo), 14 TFL, 6 sacks, 4 PDs, 2 FF
2017 Combine Performance:
None
Pros: Jalen Reeves-Maybin is an absolute animal on the field. He has great instincts and quickly reads the offense. He is a great tackler and delivers some bone-crushing hits. He is relentless on the field and has an alpha-dog mentality. He has the strength to shed blocks and stuff runs in the middle and the speed to tackle runners on the outside. Reeves-Maybin is also agile, so he is harder to elude than most linebackers. He also has the in coverage Reeves-Maybin spies, blitzes, or plays man coverage. He is a decent coverage guy because of his athleticism, and he is a good blitzer because he is a head hunter who cannot be stopped. Plus, Reeves-Maybin can contribute on special teams as a coverage man.
Cons: Reeves-Maybin's biggest issue is that he barely stayed on the field in 2016. He dealt with a shoulder injury, which is concerning for a linebacker who is undersized. Reeves-Maybin is generally a good tackler, but he also misses a few when he dives for the ankles of a runner. He needs to figure out how to take out those runners. Reeves-Maybin also struggles when covering athletic tight ends and running backs more than a few yards down the field. He gets too handsy and doesn't have the hips to cover far downfield while playing man.
Pro Comparison: Kwon Alexander, LB, Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Kwon Alexander was a 4th round pick for the Buccanneers in 2015, and he was a steal. Alexander is a ferocious hitter and a great athlete. He may be undersized, but he makes up for it with tenacity. Alexander struggles to stay on the field due to suspensions and injuries, but when he is on, he is a great linebacker. Maybin could be a steal just like Alexander was.
3 teams that could use him: The Oakland Raiders need a new linebacker and Jalen Reeves-Maybin fits the Raiders style of physicality and speed. He could be an intriguing late-round option. The Lions also need a new linebacker after DeAndre Levy's departure, and Reeves-Maybin is just as good of an athlete as Levy was. The Houston Texans will eventually need to replace Brian Cushing, and Reeves-Maybin would fit right in the Texans fearsome defense.
Conclusion: Jalen Reeves-Maybin is an old school, tenacious linebacker in an undersized body. Injury concerns will make him a day 3 pick, but he could be a steal for whoever takes him.
Stats from www.sports-reference.com, Combine Data from Jalen Reeves-Maybin Player Profile on NFL.com
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