NFL Draft Preview 2023: UCLA Football Wide Receiver Jake Bobo

The big pass-catcher made the most of his one year in Westwood, boosting his draft stock after four seasons at Duke.

The NFL Draft is taking place in Kansas City this weekend, and a handful of Bruins are set to hear their names called.

UCLA football has 15 former players in the pool of potential future pros, which is one more than the team sent to Las Vegas last year. Only six Bruins were drafted from coach Chip Kelly's first three teams in Westwood, but six wound up getting drafted in 2022 alone.

This year's draft class could be just as UCLA-heavy, with even more prospects who made waves in blue and gold now on the board in 2023.

All Bruins is breaking down scouting reports, stats and predictions for the biggest names who could go the highest, with wide receiver Jake Bobo up next.

April 20 – RB Zach Charbonnet
April 21 – QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
April 24 – OG Jon Gaines II

Stats

2018 (Duke): 10 GP, 10 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD

2019 (Duke): 6 GP, 10 receptions, 167 yards

2020 (Duke): 11 GP, 32 receptions, 358 yards, 1 TD

2021 (Duke): 12 GP, 74 receptions, 794 yards, 1 TD (All-ACC Third Team)

2022 (UCLA): 13 GP, 57 receptions, 817 yards, 7 TD (All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention)

Measurements

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 206 pounds

Arms: 32 1/4 inches

Hands: 10 inches

40-Yard Dash: 4.94 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.76 seconds

Bench Press: N/A

Vertical Jump: 36 inches

Broad Jump: 9-foot-9

3-Cone Drill: 7.09 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.40 seconds

What The Experts Are Saying

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "Overall, Bobo’s size advantage won’t be as profound vs. NFL-level athletes, and he won’t see as many clean catch windows, but he has strong ball skills and competes with a sense of urgency. He projects as a “big” slot or potential tight end convert if he commits to adding weight."

Lance Zierlien, NFL.com: "Bobo is a big slot receiver with below-average speed and agility to separate from coverage. His route running is very patchy, but he’s fairly tough and competitive when catching around traffic. He has decent hands but a relatively average catch radius. He has some potential as a run blocker in space and might be better suited to add weight and rebrand as a pass-catching tight end."

Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network: "Bobo is a nice-sized wideout who plays with toughness and intelligence. He’s limited by a lack of speed and quickness, yet his size, reliability, and approach to the game give him the advantage to make it onto a roster as a fifth wideout."

Brentley Weissman, The Draft Network: "Overall, Bobo is a reliable pass-catcher who could develop into a strong No. 3 receiver who has the ability to play both inside and outside."

Rankings

The Athletic: WR 42

Sports Illustrated: WR 35, No. 276 overall

CBS Sports: WR 41, No. 280 overall

Prediction

Bobo may have been a surprisingly dynamic security blanket for the Bruins last season – the likes of which UCLA hadn't had in years – but he doesn't project to fill that same role in the pros.

Unlike how it did in college, Bobo's long frame won't give him a massive advantage against NFL defensive backs. Bobo's lack of straight line speed was already a concern on tape, in regards to his ability to make the leap to the next level, and those concerns were only cemented when he didn't run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, followed by a lackluster time at UCLA's pro day.

Bobo has been able to show off his good hands and ability to contort for big catches since last fall, though, and there are some tools there that make him a viable option for an NFL team looking for receiver depth.

With teams leaning more and more on the pass and four-receiver sets, Bobo becomes a somewhat attractive prospect due to his reliability and versatility. If a team is facing injuries or depth issues, they could do far worse than Bobo when it comes to developmental sub receivers.

Bobo has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Rams wideout Ben Skowronek in recent weeks, and that is exactly the kind of role he could fill if he lands in the right spot.

The Los Angeles Chargers need receivers, but they need speed and will likely try and take a pass-catcher a lot higher than where Bobo is projected to go. The same goes for the Minnesota Vikings, who are probably looking for a day one starter to replace Adam Thielen.

The Jacksonville Jaguars stand out as a good fit for Bobo, considering they already have a solid starting trio of Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones. Jacksonville lost Marvin Jones to the Detroit Lions in free agency, though, and tight end Evan Engram only has one year left on his deal.

Jamal Agnew is the Jaguars' fourth receiver at the moment, and he is a 5-foot-10 return specialist. Bobo could simultaneously bring size to that fourth receiver spot while also serving as a backup to Engram when he would be lining up wide or in the slot.

Jake Bobo: Jacksonville Jaguars, No. 226 overall (Round 7)

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