2020 NFL Draft: The year of the wide receiver
By Ryan Roberts
Jalen Reagor, TCU
Henry Ruggs III has asserted himself as the premier speed demon of the 2020 NFL Draft class. Finishing in a potentially close second to Ruggs is TCU’s own deep play threat, Jalen Reagor. Reagor has been rumored to have timed in the low 4.3s in the 40-yard dash on a consistent basis this offseason, and he is able to show that speed off in a variety of ways for the Horned Frogs.
Lining up mostly on the outside for TCU, he is able to threaten outside defenders vertically. Focusing on the vertical aspect of his game, Reagor has shown the ability to feast on comebacks and digs without much fear of working through contact. Although he has spent most of his time lining up on the perimeter for the Horned Frogs, he possesses several traits that could make him a solid fit as a slot receiver, including a thick build at 5-11 and 195 pounds.
In the slot, Reagor could take advantage of his lower body explosion in short areas. Any questions about this lower body explosion would be quickly debunked when taking a look at Reagor’s track and field numbers. Coming out of Waxahachie High School in Texas, Reagor had a national best 26 feet in the long jump as a senior. For the readers who aren’t too familiar with track and field numbers, that’s bananas. That explosiveness is also on full display for Reagor on the football field.
However, that god-given athleticism is not what separates Reagor. He is a technician that fails to lose much speed in and out of rates. Perhaps my favorite trait of Reagor is his double moves, where he constantly makes defensive backs reach out for air as he accelerates by them for six.
Despite the early clamor for CeeDee Lamb, there is no reason Jalen Reagor can not give him a run for his money as the conference’s best wideout.