Every year In the NFL Draft, there are players whose background is littered with flashes of talent, but marred by injuries that have delayed their rise to stardom. Today’s report covers a young man who’s finally emerged for UNLV after a long road: Jalen Catalon.
A 4 star recruit per 247 sports, Jalen missed virtually his entire senior season due to an ACL Tear. Despite this setback, he opted to enroll at the University of Arkansas, where he would see limited action (4 games) in his first year.
His second season at Arkansas was a breakout year: 99 tackles, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles, earning a first team All-SEC nod and Freshman All-American honors as well. However, injuries would limit him to 7 games over his next 2 seasons with the Razorbacks, ultimately impacting his decision to transfer.
He would then appear in 8 games for the Texas Longhorns, recording 17 tackles and 1 forced fumble. He would then elect to hit the transfer portal again, landing at UNLV for his final season.
So far this season, through 11 games, Jalen has 77 tackles, 5 interceptions and 1 forced fumble, showing that he can be quite productive. With all that said, does the tape measure up to the production? Let’s find out:
Player Info
Name: Jalon Catalon
Jersey: No. 1
Position: Safety
School: UNLV
Class: Senior
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 205 lbs.
Jalen Catalon’s Strengths
Jalen is an aggressive downhill hitter at the safety position, who shows a quick trigger and a willingness to fly towards the ball in run support. He has good instincts for the safety spot, often diagnosing plays quickly to put himself into the right spot from a defensive standpoint.
He also exhibits good ball skills, being able to catch passes and high point passes from a defender standpoint, evidenced by his interception numbers. He also tackles with authority; giving his team a presence in the run game, as well as making receivers questioning if they should catch passes over the middle of the field.
Jalen Catalon’s Weaknesses
Jalen’s extensive medical history is a red flag for this analyst. Multiple games missed over his career raises serious questions about his ability to withstand a full NFL season from a durability standpoint.
While he is a violent tackler, the technique is often inconsistent; which occasionally leads to missed tackles or extra yards in space. In addition, his long speed is a concern, limiting his ability to cover deep if he is beaten by a receiver in coverage.
Draft Projection
Jalen is currently a mid to late 4th round prospect on my big board. Jalen has the mindset of an old school enforcer as a safety, and has the ball skills to play in coverage.
However, his extensive medical history is going to be scrutinized by teams at the combine, potentially having some teams take him off their boards entirely. With that said, 3 teams who likely are still in on Jalen in the NFL Draft:
- New York Jets (With multiple safeties on this roster in the final year of their deals, the Jets would be wise to do their research on Jalen, and bring him in to be the enforcer in their defense, similar to a bouncer at a Brooklyn Nightclub.)
- Carolina Panthers (The panthers are also a team that could use Safety help, especially with the amount of expiring deals they have in their safety room as well, so they would be wise to look Jalen’s way.)
- Indianapolis Colts (With a need at the Safety position, the Colts likely target a player much earlier in the NFL draft to roam the back part of their defense. However, if they choose to double up at safety, or go best player available early, Jalen would be an excellent option for Indianapolis In the later rounds.
Jalen is the exact mold of an old school enforcer at safety, but also has the ball skills and IQ to play in coverage at the NFL level. However, as the saying goes “the best ability you can ever have in football is availability.”
Jalen’s medicals are key for him, as there is 2nd round talent littered all throughout his tape. However, with his inability to stay healthy, teams may push him down the board in favor of other prospects who aren’t as talented, but have stayed healthy in the past.
This analyst believes that if Jalen can stay on the field, he is going to show teams what he can truly do. He is a boom or bust prospect: in 5 years, we could be talking about the steal of this class at the safety spot or he could be out of the league entirely due to injuries.
My comparison for Jalon Catalon: Tyrann Mathieu, S, Arizona Cardinals/New Orleans Saints
