by It’s that time of the year again! NFL Draft season.
Over the next few months, I’ll be breaking down and highlighting a handful of notable college football stars entering the draft — most who may be flying under the radar.
Today’s scouting report will be focused on Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright.
The Durham, NC product took his game to another level in 2023, earning All-SEC Second Team honors and becoming the first Vol to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since Jalen Hurd in 2015. Wright may be the fastest running back in this 2024 class and is a unique talent through and through.
Production
Just a former three-star prospect coming out of high school, Wright was never a highly touted athlete entering the college level. That’s until Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel realized he had found a diamond in the ruff.
After a rather minimal 85 touches as a true freshman in 2021, Wright took on the roll as the main bell-cow back for the Vols the following year and put up impressive numbers in a pass-heavy offense anchored by QB Hendon Hooker and WR Jalin Hyatt. The tailback led UT with 875 rushing yards (10th in SEC) and 10 touchdowns (career-high) on 146 carries.
Vol fans got to see Wright unlock his full potential this past season as he ran for 1,013 yards (5th in SEC) at a crazy 7.4 yards-per-carry average that ranked second in the nation. He also showed flashes of versatility, posting 22 receptions for 141 yards behind one of the most productive running back seasons in program history.
Strengths
A combination of speed and agility, Wright is a smaller (5’11”, 210), shifty back that’s dangerous in the open field. What he’s best known for is his elite breakaway speed and explosiveness, as evidenced by that 7.4 YPC in 2023, which makes him such an enticing prospect. Wright is also only 21 years old and doesn’t have an injury history, so he has a lot of tread left on his tires. He may not be a bell-cow at the next level, but he’ll be a perfect change-of-pace back in the proper system.
My Comp: Lamar Miller
Both Wright and the former Houston Texan Pro Bowler have a lot in common ability wise. Although Wright is a hair faster, the two possess(ed) track speed and are home-run threats every time they tote the rock. Fairly undersized, Wright can also be a quality receiving threat with good hand-catching ability and will be an immediate spark plug for an offense like Miller was in his heyday.
Projected Round: 4th
Wright is a surefire top-75 overall prospect and top-five running back in the class, but with the lower demand for running backs in today’s climate, he will most likely be a mid-Day 2 pick.
