Jalen

Jelks

Jelks (6’5/256) was a two-year starter and four-year contributor on the Ducks’ defensive line, graduating with 29.5 career tackles for loss and 15 sacks and earning first-team All-Pac 12 as a senior. PFF College credited Jelks with a conference-high 27 run stops in 2018, and his 41 QB pressures ranked second among Pac 12 edge defenders. Jenks won with length (34 5/8" arms) and motor in college, but his NFL transition was called into question when he ran 4.92 and managed ninth-percentile SPARQ results at the Combine. Lanky, missing functional strength, and short on explosiveness, Jelks’ likely ceiling is a situational pass rusher in the Shaq Barrett mold.

Jelks (6'5/256) had a rough event, posting below average in the agility drills and in the 40-yard dash (4.92 seconds). After disappointing at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Jelks needed to have a nice NFL Combine, but that just didn’t happen. Draft analysts have been dropping Jelks down their draft boards all season long, and he’s now on the Day 2/3 borderline. Perhaps he can improve his measurements at his Pro Day.

Utah’s Bradley Anae and Cal’s Tevin Paul were second and third in this category with 25 and 24 run-stops. Jelks (6'5/245) reportedly disappointed at the Senior Bowl, dropping his draft stock from a potential first-rounder to a fringe 3rd round pick. He’ll need a strong combine in order to boost his draft stock back into the top two rounds.

Ledyard notes that the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Jelks has a frame and body which would lead you to hope for big things on this stage. Not so much, apparently. Writes the analyst, “He was unable to make a ripple this week in practice however, offering no pass rush plan, limited burst and very little power off the edge.” Ledyard views the NFL Scouting Combine as pivotal for Jelks’ draft stock, but regardless of where the Oregon edge rusher ends up being selected, he is dubious as to whether Jelks has the traits which would allow him to develop into an NFL starter.

At one point, Jelks (6'6/245) was a potential first-rounder but his length and quickness never translated to levels analysts’ anticipated. Potential first-round lineman Andre Dillard “manhandled” Jelks in Oregon’s matchup against Washington State in 2018, but Jelks may save his draft stock with big numbers at the NFL Combine.

Jelks (6'6/245) entered the 2018 season widely considered to be a second-round pick, but analysts are split on where he currently sits heading into the pre-draft process. Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline noted that Jelks’ stock dropped after the Washington State game after being “manhandled” by the Cougars’ tackle Andre Dilliard. However, Jelks is expected to put up solid numbers at the NFL Combine -- he is lengthy and quick -- and a strong showing at the Senior Bowl should solidify his status as a potential second-round pick.

Jelks (6'6/245) picked up four tackles against the Cougars, but the stats don’t really tell the story. He was often “manhandled” by WSU tackle Andre Dillard, and didn’t seem to win very many one-on-one battles against the mid-round draft prospect. “There’s been talk about Jelks as a potential top twenty selection in round one- something I just don’t see happening,” Pauline writes. “This is not to say Jelks won’t be a good football player in the NFL in due time, rather people are overrating where he’ll end up in next April’s draft.”

Solack sees this as a plus for Jelks’ draft prospects, likewise the fact that the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder has added weight since the close of the 2017 campaign. He’ll be one to watch when the Ducks take on Stanford upcoming. Writes the analyst, “If Jelks is the early-round selection I think he is, he must shed the tweener label — that effort truly begins on Saturday night.” What Solak will be look for, in particular, is how Jelks handles Cardinal LT A.T. Hall. That’s a matchup that Jelks should be able to win.

Pro Football Focus noted that Jelks and the Oregon defensive line made San Jose State’s quarterback released the ball just 2.29 seconds after the snap. Jelks (6'6/245) had three quarterback hits himself by the way. The redshirt senior has been given second-round grades and his production this season certainly backs it.

Jelks only received 80 pass-rushing snaps last year, but he converted them into five sacks, a quarterback hit and eight hurries. “He showed impressive length, pass rush repertoire, and relentlessness as a redshirt freshman and he has a chance to become one of the nation’s breakout stars,” wrote Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus.