Scouting New York Jets UDFA large receiver Jamaal Pritchett

The New York Jets lately signed former South Alabama large receiver Jamaal Pritchett as an undrafted free agent. At present we break Pritchett down intimately.

The 22-year outdated Pritchett is listed at 5’8” and 175 kilos. He was a primary crew all-Solar Belt choice final season after posting a thousand-yard season. He additionally performed one season at Tuskegee.

Background

Pritchett started his school profession at Tuskegee, the place he caught 27 passes for 488 yards and three touchdowns in 9 video games in 2021. That included two hundred-yard video games.

He was then in a position to stroll on at South Alabama, though he had simply two catches in eight video games within the 2022 season.

In 2023, he began incomes common enjoying time on offense and finally began 10 of 13 video games. He ended the season with 883 yards and eight touchdowns on 57 catches and was named as an all-Solar Belt honorable point out on the finish of the yr.

2024 noticed Pritchett take his sport to a brand new stage, as he earned all-Solar Belt first crew honors by catching 91 passes for 1,127 yards and 9 touchdowns. He additionally contributed properly as a punt returner.

Pritchett wasn’t invited to the scouting mix however did take part in Senior Bowl week. Nevertheless, he was not chosen within the draft in April.

After Pritchett went undrafted, the Jets signed him to an undrafted free company cope with $107,500 assured.

Let’s transfer onto some extra in-depth evaluation of what Pritchett brings to the desk as a participant, primarily based on in depth analysis and movie research.

Measurables/Athleticism

Pritchett is undersized however you’d anticipate him to have good velocity, explosiveness and agility numbers primarily based on his movie. His professional day numbers had been disappointing, although. Whereas his 40-yard sprint was clocked at 4.44, which is stable, the remainder of his numbers had been under common throughout the board. It seems seemingly that he performs sooner than his timed velocity, however these numbers most likely damage his possibilities of being drafted.

Utilization

Along with his lack of measurement, you’d anticipate Pritchett to be restricted to a slot-only function on the NFL stage and he did play within the slot greater than three-quarters of the time in 2024. Nevertheless, he was completely an out of doors receiver at Tuskegee and likewise performed extra outdoors than within the slot in 2023 with the Jaguars.

He solely had one carry in his school profession, however loads of his catches had been pop passes on jet sweep movement.

Deep menace

Pritchett has had good success getting behind the protection for deep balls and is a viable massive play menace. He had 10 totally different video games with not less than one 35-yard catch over the previous two seasons.

Probably the most spectacular factor about Pritchett when he runs deep is how early he tracks and locates the ball. This allows him to keep up his steadiness in a robust place to contest.

Routes

Pritchett has a fame as a clean route runner, and appeared good in one-on-one drills on the Senior Bowl.

Nevertheless, he didn’t essentially get to impress too typically in that space with South Alabama, as a substitute utilizing his pure velocity to get open on crossers and beneath stuff.

His releases are clear and he will get separation on his breaks, however he doesn’t use as a lot in the best way of deception as you may anticipate, maybe as a result of his quickness means he didn’t must at that stage.

Palms

Pritchett’s catch price improved from 67 % in his first yr as a starter at South Alabama to 77 % final yr. Nevertheless, that’s seemingly extra to do with a task change than an indication his fingers have gotten more and more dependable. He caught 39 passes behind the road of scrimmage in 2024, however simply 14 in 2023.

In any case, his fingers have been fairly dependable anyway, with simply six dropped passes in over 200 targets over the previous two seasons. He can have lapses of focus although.

Regardless of solely posting a 30.5-inch vertical at his professional day, Pritchett has proven some potential to go up and get it in contested catch conditions.

He’s additionally able to laying out for diving catches and has good focus to hold onto balls he doesn’t usher in cleanly.

Purple zone

When you wouldn’t think about somebody who’s 5’8” to be a standard crimson zone menace, Pritchett had 17 touchdowns over the previous two seasons. Though many of those had been longer performs, a handful of them did come from within the crimson zone.

His quickness may make him an excellent choice to get separation in tight conditions and he is also a jet sweep choice.

After the catch

Pritchett’s skills after the catch are most likely essentially the most thrilling and spectacular a part of his movie. He led the nation in yards after the catch with 759 in 2024. He additionally nearly led the nation in missed tackles pressured, ending up only one under Luther Burden.

On screens and dump-offs, he has an innate potential to chop again and make the primary man miss along with his upfield momentum established instantly. He’s additionally surprisingly tough to carry down, typically falling ahead on the finish of a run.

Pritchett didn’t have a fumble on offense in his school profession.

Blocking

Regardless of common run blocking grades from evaluation websites reminiscent of Professional Soccer Focus, Pritchett exhibits a willingness to get his fingers soiled as a blocker, whether or not by way of finishing up a deliberate project or reacting on a downfield play.

When blocking in typical conditions, his lack of measurement might be detrimental to his possibilities of success on the NFL stage, as he’ll often be tasked with blocking somebody greater than him. Nevertheless, he does make an excellent effort by way of staying on his block.

Pritchett wouldn’t typically have a blocking project on a receiver display screen, as a result of he was often the recipient of such passes, however he’ll crash down on a linebacker on a operating again display screen now and again.

He had one holding penalty in 2024.

Physicality

As has already been alluded to, Pritchett has some physicality to his sport regardless of an absence of measurement, giving effort as a blocker and preventing for yards as a ball provider.

When operating routes, he’ll lean on or throughout his man earlier than an inside break at occasions. As well as, his document on contested catches is stable as he’s aggressive on the catch level and never afraid to go over the center and catch the ball in site visitors.

Working at his energy so he can get off press protection and never be re-routed by stronger defenders might be important to his success on the professional stage.

Particular Groups

Pritchett doesn’t have a ton of return sport expertise, however what he has proven as a punt returner up to now is engaging.

He averaged over 15 yards per return on 12 returns final season, which included a spectacular landing.

Previous to that, he had solely returned 9 punts (4 at Tuskegee and 5 in his first two seasons with the Jaguars) however, once more, his document was stable in a small pattern measurement with a 13.7 yards per return common.

He did have two muffs final yr, although, and his document as a kickoff returner is underwhelming (4 returns for 40 yards).

Other than the return contributions, he has performed a couple of snaps in kick and punt protection, however didn’t do sufficient of this to generate any manufacturing.

Instincts and Intelligence

Pritchett shows excellent imaginative and prescient and persistence with the ball in his fingers, be that on offense or particular groups. He follows his blockers and has a knack for locating the trail of least resistance in tight quarters.

He additionally impresses along with his potential to seek out the smooth spot in zone protection and are available again to the soccer when performs are prolonged.

Pritchett had two pre-snap penalties, each for unlawful shifts, in 2024.

Perspective

Pritchett is aggressive, with a robust work ethic and little question brings the identical chip on his shoulder that any prospect who started their profession at a small college after which needed to stroll on would.

He claims to own good character and produce optimistic power to the locker room and observe subject.

Pritchett’s cousin is Nehemiah Pritchett, who was a fifth spherical choose final season and stays on the Seahawks roster.

Accidents

Pritchett hasn’t missed any important time on account of accidents in his profession up to now, though he did choose out of this yr’s bowl sport to arrange for the draft.

He was knocked out of a sport in opposition to LSU in 2024 on account of a head damage, however handed by way of concussion protocol and was again within the line-up for the following sport.

Scheme Match

As famous earlier, Pritchett’s measurement most likely means he’s going to be thought-about as a slot choice on the NFL regardless of the actual fact he’s additionally performed outdoors. His finest path to the roster is in fact the return sport, although.

Conclusions

When the Jets picked up Pritchett, the preliminary conclusions had been that he could be somebody who would compete with Xavier Gipson, each for his punt return function and reps within the slot.

Nevertheless, watching his movie, his potential to create and produce after the catch is paying homage to what Malachi Corley was billed to be. Subsequently, if Pritchett can impress on offense in camp and preseason, it could be Corley relatively than (or maybe along with) Gipson who might want to watch his again.

Quentin Skinner received about twice as a lot assured cash as Pritchett, so might have the higher probability of creating it than the opposite two undrafted receivers. Nevertheless, a observe squad spot for Pritchett is greater than believable and if he could make some noise within the return sport in preseason, the Jets could have a call to make.