We continue our 2024 NFL Draft review of draft prospects that the Dallas Cowboys may be interested in. Today we're taking a look at Jalen Wright, a running back from Tennessee.
Jalen Wright
R.B.
volunteer tennessee
junior
5’10”
210 pounds
Hand size – 9 3:8 inches (59%)
Arm length – 31 1/2 inches (70%)
Wingspan – 75 7/8 inches (74%)
history:
Jalen Wright was a three-star player coming out of high school and committed to the University of Tennessee in 2021. His freshman year, he appeared in nine games and had 85 rushing attempts for 409 yards and four touchdowns.
Wright continued to play as a backup running back at Tennessee in 2022. Regardless, he played in all 13 games, leading the team in rushing yards (875) and scoring 10 rushing touchdowns.
In his junior year, Wright finally played as the Volunteers' starting running back. He had 136 rushing attempts and had 1,010 rushing yards. He scored four touchdowns and averaged 7.4 yards per carry (which ranked second in the SEC).
Statistics for 2023:
159 Offensive Snap
136 rushing attempts
1,010 rushing yards
7.4 YPC
4 rushing TDs
1 fumble
141 receiving yards
0 Received TD
nfl combine/Pro Day:
10 Yard Split – 1.55 seconds (62%)
40 yard time – 4.38 seconds (95%)
Bart – 38 inches (86%)
Wide – 134 inches (98%)
Awards:
All-SEC Second Team (2023)
scorecard:
Overall – 83.0
Speed - 96
Acceleration – 89
Agility – 64
Strength – 73
vision-81
Contact balance – 80
Elusive – 70
Reception-75
Blocking – 70
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25409692/DB284198_4E5F_4FD6_B186_3E60185012BF.jpeg)
Good things:
- Very instinctive and natural playmaker
- Master your gears and have incredible top-end speed
- Acts with a purpose and is often violent
- He is very good at keeping his pads low and falling forward in tackles.For a back of his size, this is amazing
- Shows good visibility when running outside
- Very good acceleration and burst to eliminate pursuit angle
- have the right hand as a receiver
bad person:
- Has a slender frame and build, which limits his use and ability to play as a power back
- Lack of strength seen when playing between the tackles
- Has fumble issues, but improved last year
- Your lower body may become stiff when you try to cut it.
- Lateral movement is below average
- Tennessee's offensive alignment limits route trees
Fit:
Jalen Wright can be described in two very simple words: explosiveness and speed. He is a very fast and efficient runner and that is the most important part of playing as a running back, so it makes sense why he plays the position so well. His speed is best seen when he bounces and runs outside, which is when he is most efficient. This makes him best suited to a stretch-style rushing attack, making him the ideal successor to Tony Pollard.
His problem lies in the inside run. He lacks the vision here and the power to get past the inside defender. His lack of cutting ability also hinders him when passing through the A and B gap. Besides his inside gap power running, his other issues are his lateral speed and ability to gain yards after contact.
Beyond the issues, Wright has a unique skill set that allows him to perform at a high level. He's a complementary back in the NFL, given that he's limited to zone runs and outside. But he's a complementary back who would instantly upgrade the offense.
Comparison:-
Pierre Strong Jr., Cleveland Browns
School year:
Middle of the 3rd round
Consensus ranking:
73rd place
(Consensus ranking based on average ranking of 90 major scoring services)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25409700/IMG_4127.jpeg)
