An Early NFL Draft Scouting Report : Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt

Jalin Hyatt is a very explosive athlete off the ball. His name has been swirling around since a 5 touchdown performance that helped Tennessee defeat their rival, Alabama.

Below is Jalin Hyatt’s full Scouting card with a year-by-year breakdown:

Player Information:

Name: Jalin Hyatt

School: Tennessee

Position: WR, Y

Jersey #: 11

Alignment/Scheme: Slot

Games Watched: Vs Bama , vs Pitt , vs Florida , Vs LSU

Major Factors: # Notes:

(Grading Scale:       9 - Special  8 - All-Pro  7.5 - Pro Bowler  7 - Good Starter  6.5 - Avg. Starter  6 - Good Backup  5.5 - Role Player  5 - Developmental)

Personal/Behavior: ? N/A

Athletic Ability: 7 Not exceptionally quick, but has elite sprinter speed. Was a 10.4 100M runner in high school and 21.1 200M runner. 

Strength & Explosion: 5 He is explosive in his run, but he is not strong at the point of contact. He has a frail frame and is easily knocked over by larger, more physical defenders. Not a strong blocker, but will get into position on blocks.

Competes: 7 Will compete for 50/50 balls, but he is not excellent on jump balls. Will work to get position on defenders for blocks. 

Production: 6 First-year starter. Has had a stellar 2022 season, but he had not contributed a ton prior to 2022. 

Mental/Learning: 6 Broke the starting lineup in 2022. Only 1 start in 2021, on the roster since 2020. 

Injury History: ? None

Player Summary:

Report: Jalin Hyatt is a very explosive athlete off the ball. He gives superior effort in eating up the defensive back’s cushion. Hyatt is more of a deep threat than a route runner or possession catcher. He does not run a full route tree, but I believe he can develop his ability since he possesses the speed and quickness. He will need work in getting out of routes, but he is fast enough to create separation out of his break. Does a decent job of finding windows, but he relies on his speed to run routes so he occasionally struggles to find soft zones. He excels on the fade, go and post routes. He is not a great running hitch and slant as he does not have great footwork for the quick game. 

After the catch, Hyatt leaves much to be desired. He is not very shifty, so he does not make the first defender miss after the catch. His speed allows him to catch the ball and immediately get vertical. However, Hyatt is solid with the ball in his hand and he has a high motor. 

Hyatt is not a devastating blocker, which can be attributed to his frame. However, he will work to position himself on defenders which can compensate for his lack of strength. Tennessee typically will throw screen game to the opposite side since he is not a strong blocker. In situations where blocking is needed, the team will not rely on Hyatt to get the job done. 

Against University of Alabama (10/15), Hyatt scored 5 touchdowns in a victory and had over 200 yards receiving. Against Pitt (9/10) Hyatt reeled in a career high 11 receptions. To add, Hyatt also had 2 touchdowns against conference opponent LSU (10/8).

Pro Comparison: Russell Gage

Round/Grade: 4th Round 

ITH Writer/COO

-By: LeMarkus Bailey