Draft Analysis: Rakim Jarrett

Height: 5’11”
Weight: 192 lb
College: Maryland
Tape watched: Ohio State, Michigan, Buffalo, 2021 Michigan State, 2021 Rutgers
College Comparison: D’Wayne Eskridge

Pros

Burst/Agility
Rakim Jarrett possesses plenty of NFL caliber burst and change of direction. He can get in and out of route breaks with purpose. After the catch, Jarrett has the ability to make defenders miss and pick up extra yards. Heavily used in the screen game, Jarrett finds gaps in the defense and never hesitates to get up field.

Release
When he’s on, Jarrett is special in press. Large in part to his agility attributes mentioned above, Jarrett has quick, disciplined footwork and an impressively strong upper body for his height and weight. His tape against Rutgers in 2021 is excellent.

Great release, better catch.

Midline

Route Running
Rakim Jarrett is hot and cold in his route running abilities. He showed the ability to stay square to defenders, give convincing head and shoulder fakes, and even lean into and stack defenders. He also showed lazy routes, drifting, and tipping his routes with rounding of the route and his eyes. The ability is apparent to transition in the NFL, Jarrett just needs consistency and attention to detail.

This is pass interference that should have been called on Jarrett. The main takeaway from this: Jarrett turns, and even gets a misstep from his defender. There is no reason for him to initiate contact at the top of his route. Terrace Marshall struggled with this in college and it transitioned to the NFL poorly.

Hands
Another area of inconsistency is Jarrett’s ability to secure the football. Jarrett mostly struggled with contested catches and physical situations, as well as catches outside of his frame, specifically above his head. The ball finds Jarrett’s pads more often than you would hope. On the other hand, Jarrett made some incredible plays on the football. Drops aren’t a concern, but his hands did not stand out as a major positive of his game.

Cons

Blocking
When he doesn’t lack effort, he lacks technique. He is late to stalk, if at all, and throws shoulders instead of punch and driving.

This may be more that Jarrett did not see the middle linebacker identify this play early, but he at least needs to close the door for his teammate. This was a common occurrence. Getting in the way is 80% of blocking as a receiver.

Size/Speed
Jarrett appears shorter than his 6’0″ advertisement. Where he makes up in height is the frame he carries at a smaller size. He is noticeably well built if he measures in under 6’0″ and 200 lbs. A strong upper body will help him against bigger corners.

Rakim Jarrett’s top end speed does not stand out in his tape. His release gives him separation, but all of his deep catches tend to be contested, or at least close coverage. Average speed at his size could be limiting.

Route Tree
Usage and the overall scheme at Maryland limited Jarrett’s production. A heavy read option and RPO game resulted in quick throws, or scramble drills from the quarterback.

Overview

Rakim Jarrett likely finds himself in a group of abundance when it comes to the NFL draft. Lacking elite traits , Jarrett may end up in the middle rounds of the draft with similar receivers. He projects heavily as a slot receiver in the NFL, where he can use his agility to slice through zones, get lost in man coverage, and get the ball in his hands quickly.