Draft Analysis: Jake Bobo

March 2, 2023 /
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Weight: 206 lb
  • College: UCLA
  • Tape watched: USC, Northwestern (2021)
  • NFL Comparison: Harrison Bryant

Pros

  • Size
    With true tight end size, Jake Bobo might be the largest receiver at the NFL draft.
  • Strength
    Physical and dominating at every aspect of the position, Bobo exhibits great blocking skills, strong hands, and the ability to absorb contact. He was used all over formations at UCLA, including tight end, fullback, and as a motion lead blocker on run plays.

    He is a physical and technically sound blocker. He maximizes his wide base and strong hands to drive defenders out of plays.
Bobo kicks out a defensive end.
  • Hands
    Bobo has great hands that keep the ball off the turf and off his pads. He made some exceptional plays on the football through contested coverages.

Midline

  • Release
    Bobo does a good job for his size at leveraging cornerbacks. He rarely faced true press coverage, but he has enough wiggle to free up space to allow him to get physical through the top of his stem. Defenders playing mirror press coverage give him separation problems.

Cons

  • Agility/Speed
    I truly believe Jake Bobo’s optimal position is a switch to tight end, or a perfect fit in an offense that will uniquely utilize his skillset. At minimum, a move closer to the line of scrimmage maximizes Bobo’s talent and positional upside, landing him more linebacker/safety matchups than true corners. He moves very similarly to Dalton Kincaid, a consensus top receiving tight end in this years class. Moving Bobo around for matchups is obviously beneficial due to his size at the position, but his route versatility is limiting for a receiver.
The corner covering Jake Bobo never leaves his assignment. Bobo doesn’t threaten deep, and the corner knows he can sit on the hitch.
  • Route Tree
    Bobo was asked to run a simplistic route tree in college. He was utilized in the slot running hitches and drags across the field. On the perimeter, his routes were matchup and coverage based, usually in the form of a hitch/go concept.

Overview

Drafted 60th overall to the New Orleans Breakers in the 2023 USFL draft, Jake Bobo sets his sights on the NFL combine this week. Bobo will look to showcase true receiver skills in a class that is thin on bigger receivers. Most of Bobo’s production at UCLA came through short to intermediate routes. He excels at using his body to shut off defenders on hitches and horizontal routes. He showed the ability to dominate contested catch situations. Separation and overall athleticism for the position are major concerns. His ability to run an NFL route tree is limited by his stiff hips and stop-start speed.