Jadon Haselwood NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Arkansas WR
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 215
HAND: 10"
ARM: 31¼"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.66
3-CONE: 6.98
SHUTTLE: 4.31
VERTICAL: 37"
BROAD: 10'3"
POSITIVES
— Above-average play strength. Uses his size to his advantage.
— Smooth mover on film. Changes directions without sacrificing speed.
— Above-average hands. Flashes ability to catch in traffic and adjust to the ball on the fly.
— Good YAC skills. Natural vision, smooth movements, enough acceleration.
NEGATIVES
— Middling speed on film; tested even worse at the NFL combine.
— Below-average quickness and elusiveness. Routes often seem dull.
— Below-average blocker. Has the size but needs to be more active.
— Mostly limited to the slot at Arkansas.
2023 STATISTICS
— 12 G, 59 REC, 702 YD (11.9 AVG), 3 TD
NOTES
— DOB: April 15, 2001
— Top-five recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite list; committed to Oklahoma; transferred to Arkansas in 2022
— 12 career starts, all at Arkansas
— Attended East-West Shrine Bowl
OVERALL
Jadon Haselwood is a former elite recruit with smooth movement skills, but he hasn't fully put it all together.
His movement skills are best described as "easy." Though not the fastest nor quickest athlete, he effortlessly glides around the field as a 215-pounder. He finds no issue with sinking his hips, changing directions or making snappy subtle movements.
Those movement skills translate to Haselwood's yards-after-the-catch contributions, too. His initial burst when he turns upfield is quite impressive, and he has a natural blend of vision and flexibility to weave through the second and third levels.
The 21-year-old still plays to his frame, though, and shows off good play strength. He doesn't give up much ground or lose speed when defenders try jamming him on routes. Likewise, Haselwood has above-average skills when it comes to managing traffic and making difficult contested catches. He isn't a vertical ball-winner, but he can make tough catches when being hit over the middle.
On the other hand, Haselwood doesn't pop off the screen. For as smooth and controlled of an athlete he is, he's not very twitchy or fast. His stop/start athleticism is a bit lacking, which is why he can struggle on routes with sharper breaks as opposed to more free-flowing zone-beaters or crossers.
Additionally, Haselwood's top speed is below-average. He's still great with the ball in his hands, but not in the way that will make defenders think he can make a house call at any time. Due to both of those issues, he was mostly limited to being a "big" slot at Arkansas, which will almost certainly be his path onto the field in the NFL as well.
He can be an effective possession/YAC-type slot receiver in due time. He has the size, effortless movement and comfort in traffic to blossom into a quality starter.
However, Haselwood's lack of pop as an athlete lowers his ceiling, and his middling route-running refinement and poor blocking skills will hurt his ability to get on the field right away. He would benefit from an offense that opens things up and gives the slot receiver plenty of space to operate with and, in theory, block less.
GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)
OVERALL RANK: 176
POSITION RANK: WR26
PRO COMPARISON: Jordan Matthews
Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen
