SI All-American Candidate Jaylin Mines Highlights and Evaluation

Jaylin Mines is a safety prospect from Oak Park High School in Oak Park, Mich. Mines is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: Jaylin Mines
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
Position: Safety
School: Oak Park (Mich.)
Committed to: Toledo 
Projected Position: Safety 

Frame: Slender, but well-proportioned. Average width across upper body tapers to narrow waist. Long arms. Developing, tightly-wound thighs, and trunk. Thin calves. Growth potential not unlimited, but plenty of room to add weight. 

Athleticism: Impressive burst. Closes to ball in a hurry. Average long speed at best. Adequate short-area quickness and hip/ankle flexibility. Arrives with force as tackler, though overall strength is middling. 

Instincts: Quick to diagnose. Consistently reads guard keys and quarterback’s eyes, attacking fast to ball. Takes good angles to ball-carrier in backside pursuit. Sound tackler; shoots low and with force. 

Polish: Adequate backpedal; a bit choppy. Can be slow to turn hips, reach top speed once attacking. Shows patience as option defender. Gets low, churns feet when squared to ball-carrier in open space. Must get stronger. 

Bottom Line: Mines has the size and athletic ability to play both safety spots for Toledo. Instincts best at free safety, though additional size could shift him to strong. Likely early contributor, with multi-year starter potential.