2018 Raiders Draft Prospect
Name: Jaleel Scott
Position: WR
School” New Mexico State
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 215 pounds
Stats
Hands
When the ball finds Scott’s hands, it sticks. With Scott, his hands during contested catches could be his greatest strength. Usually, receivers will grow alligator arms when a defender looms. Yet, Scott veers in the other direction. He appears to extend his catch radius when battling a defensive back. Not to mention the various one hand stabs he makes while fighting.
Granted, Scott’s catches primarily occurs at or above his waist. As a result, little info exists on how he goes to the ground to make a catch. The combine and pro day could easily answer this question.
Speed
While Scott will not torch a corner, he uses an economy of steps to get up to pace. Standing 6’6”, Scott will use elongated strides to gain a measure of separation. To his credit, Scott averaged 37.5 yards per punt return in limited action.
Route Running
If any aspect of Scott’s skills surprises you, the smoothness of how he runs each route will open eyes. When some wideouts head downfield, they will occasionally round off a route. In that case, passes will either sail by them or become interceptions. However, Scott uses a tight break back; sharp cuts are slight twitch on patterns. During his two seasons in Las Cruces, Scott transformed from an unpolished receiver, to a fluid threat. Coupled with his route skills, Scott displays an awareness of the sideline. He will take a deep out and know exactly where the sideline is.
Route Tree
For Scott, other than his size, the NMSU offense helped his draft stock. From lining up in the slot and outside, Scott needed to run various patterns while facing different coverages. Despite his long frame, Scott shows agility during the quicker routes. For example, few tall receivers can turn a dig into an out without losing balance or timing. Similarly, crossing patterns with a large target will cause headaches. Yet, Scott’s most distinguishable patterns are those in the red zone. He runs a crisp fade. In addition, his jump ball will make him money at the next level. Scott highpoints the ball and will fight for control.
Raiders Fit
Before the Senior Bowl and Combine, Scott looks like a late Day 2/early Day 3 selection. With this in mind, look at his strengths. Scott runs cleans routes, possesses strong hands, and wins with size in the red zone. Jon Gruden values size over speed and precision over raw talent. The Raiders need versatile receivers to complement Amari Cooper. While Scott does not pose a deep threat, he will make plays in the red zone and over the middle. After a couple years of Seth Roberts, the Raiders need to move in a new direction.
