Alabama Game Week Scouting Report: Texas A&M Tight End Jalen Wydermyer

BamaCentral and NFL Draft Bible team up to profile key players Alabama will face this season, who have a chance to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

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Of all the players the Alabama football program is preparing to face when it visits Texas A&M on Saturday, tight end Jalen Wydermyer is probably getting the most attention. 

The Crimson Tide took note when he caught two touchdown passes as a freshman two years ago, and last year he had eight catches for 82 yards against Alabama. 

Wydermyer ended up having more receptions in conference play than any other SEC tight end with 45. 

He also recently became the fourth Aggies tight end in program history to top the 1,000 receiving yards mark (1,055) for his career.

"He is a very good player," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "He’s a big body. He’s very athletic. Can drop his weight and get out of a break so it makes him difficult to cover because of his size and athleticism and we certainly had a difficult time with him last year. I mean, he was responsible for several third-down conversions where we just couldn’t get him covered. Hopefully we’ll do a little better job this year.

"And I think that they do a really good job of utilizing him in this offense, so we need to know where he is at all times. There’s no doubt about that."

Both Nick Lamattina and Cory McCann Ezring have taken a close look at Wydermyer for NFL Draft Bible, and both of their evaluations are included:  

Jalen Wydermyer

Jersey: No. 85
Position: Tight end
Height: 6-5
Weight: 255
DOB: 12/20/00
Draft eligible: 2022
Hometown: Dickinson, Texas
High School: Dickinson

Background

Born December 20th, 2000 in Dickinson Texas, Wydermyer had an outstanding athletic career at Dickinson High School. He ended his time in the program with 87 receptions for 1,623 yards and 20 touchdowns. In 2018, alone, he made 42 catches for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns. In recognition of his strong high school career and athletic excellence, 247Sports Composite Rankings named Wydermyer a four-star recruit. The same outlet listed him as the 359th-overall player in his class, the 15th-ranked tight end in his year and the 45th-best recruit in the state of Texas. The Dickinson native contributed immediately upon arriving at Texas A&M. during his freshman season, he played in each of the Aggies’ 13 games, starting 11. Wydermyer recorded 32 catches for 447 yards. What’s more, his six receiving touchdowns led the team. After his debut campaign, Wydermyer earned Texas A&M’s Offensive Top Newcomer Award. Further, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team (by coaches) and the AP All-SEC Second Team. Before his sophomore year, the talented tight end was named Preseason All-SEC Second Team by coaches and media. In 2020, Wydermyer continued his excellent career with the Aggies. Starting in all 10 games, the decorated pass-catcher recorded 46 receptions, 506 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award. Further, the then-sophomore was named All-SEC Second Team. Before his junior season, Wydermyer received Walter Camp Preseason All-America Second Team and Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Second Team honors. While it is not expected to impact his play, the Aggies’ star suffered a freak off-field injury to his finger between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The “cut” required surgery on a tendon and he missed the team’s spring camp.

Pros

Lamattina: Wydermyer’s frame and athletic profile allowed him to align in many different roles for the Aggies. He mainly lined up as a standard tight end slightly off the line of scrimmage, but also split out wide as a slot receiver. Operates well off of a vertical route tree that can take advantage of his size and contested-catch ability down the field. He moves well for his size and has enough speed to make it work. Hands are extremely strong in traffic with defenders on him in coverage. He attacks the ball in the air and can go up and get it in a jump-ball situation.

Ezring: Texas A&M boasted a balanced and explosive offense in 2020. One of the team’s best weapons last season, Jalen Wydermyer combines his NFL frame with a unique skill set. His game is predicated on nuanced route running. The Aggies’ tight end practices clean releases with crafty body language and hand usage at the line and up the route stem. Wydermyer precedes his breaks with head fakes and jab steps to force defenders into false steps. What’s more, the Texas A&M standout separates with physicality. The talented tight end also adjusts his pace to find gaps in zone coverage. Additionally, Wydermyer is a hands catcher who uses his size and strength to outmuscle opponents and shield the ball at the catch point. The Aggies’ star is extremely efficient bringing the ball in through contact. After the catch, Wydermyer exhibits impressive instincts and a variety of ways to make defenders miss. He is shifty and surprisingly elusive for his size; conversely, he routinely breaks tackles with power and contact balance. As a blocker, Wydermyer is at his best pulling to lead block. He explodes into initial contact to immediately displace defenders. Further, he practices sound weight distribution in pass protection; his controlled play at the first level allows him to mirror defenders.

Cons

Lamattina: He definitely has some way to go as a blocker. He often takes bad blocking angles in the run game that put him a step behind in each individual battle. His lack of upper body strength and mediocre hand placement as a blocker allows defenders to shed quite easily in most cases. Needs to fix his blocking technique as a whole if a team wants him to contribute in that area. Has some stiffness in his lower half that hinders his lateral agility. His profile lacks some dynamic ability as an athlete which affects his route running and after the catch ability.

Ezring: Despite a promising and unique skillset, the Texas A&M star’s projection to the next level is somewhat murky. First and foremost, Wydermyer will be limited by his lack of burst, long speed and play strength. Although he is a nuanced route runner, Wydermyer is far from perfect. He takes false steps out of his stance, only further slowing him down. What’s more, he is heavily impacted by physical coverage. Additionally, the Aggies’ star fails to separate if opponents do not bite on his route salesmanship. Even after mistakes, NFL athletes will be able to recover from their errors in coverage thanks to Wydermyer’s limited athleticism. When given the opportunity to go against future draft picks, the All-SEC tight end has been ineffective. At the catch point, Wydermyer occasionally double catches and is not immune to drops. That said, his blocking is by far the weakest part of his game. The talented tight end takes poor angles to the point of engagement and plays with high pad level. Moreover, he tends to whiff by oversetting in space or leading with his shoulder. Defenders routinely control Wydermyer, whether by bench pressing to replace or simply driving him back, after landing hands on his frame. Further, the Texas native exhibits underwhelming grip strength which enables opponents to disengage seemingly at will with hand usage. Defenders also regularly manage distance against Wydermyer. Finally, the star pass-catcher gives inconsistent effort as a blocker.

Summary:

Lamattina: Jalen Wydermyer has the athletic profile to be an impactful vertical receiver in the league, but his current deficiencies as a blocker hinder his overall ability as a tight end. His role may be somewhat up in the air in terms of his transition to the league because he isn’t dynamic enough to play in the slot permanently but also has a way to go as a blocker to make him a three-down starting in-line tight end in the [NFL].

Ezring: A refined player, Jalen Wydermyer’s ceiling is limited by his underwhelming athletic traits and lopsided skillset. His inability to serve as a reliable blocker will make his usage fairly one-note in the league. Similarly, his middling speed and below-average burst will necessitate precision passing with proper timing at the next level. That said, the All-SEC tight end’s route 0 running affords him a high floor. Wydermyer projects as an immediate contributor [in the NFL] with starting potential.

SEE ALSO: Jalen Wydermyer Talks Knives, TD Dances, QBs, and the Aggies’ 2021 Offense

Grades

Lamattina: 7.6 (current value) / 8.3 (potential value)

Ezring: 7.6 / 8.2

BamaCentral Analysis 

Tight ends have been giving the Crimson Tide trouble lately, but that's really nothing new. The good ones give everyone trouble. Granted, the Mackey Award finalist did the most damage in the Aggies’ two games vs. top-five opponents last season, tallying a combined 13 receptions for 135 yards against No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Florida.  However, he's never had a 100-yard game, and this season Texas A&M is having some trouble getting him the ball. Through five games he has 15 catches for 176 yards, and last week caught his first touchdown pass. Alabama is beat up at outside linebacker, but those guys don't drop back in coverage too often so it probably won't be a factor. With the Aggies having injury issues on the offensive line, the play will probably be to attack the passes from the other end and put pressure on the quarterback as Zach Calzada is still in for injured Haynes King (leg). 

All this week, BamaCentral will profile numerous Texas A&M players as the Crimson Tide prepares to visit Kyle Field on Saturday. Also check out NFL Draft Bible for more evaluations.

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