Jaylan Knighton 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Participant in Nike’s The Opening in 2019

• Consensus four-star recruit coming out of Deerfield Beach High School

• All-time leading rusher in Broward County history (high school)

• Chose Miami over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Clemson, Georgia, and others
• Suspended four games to start 2021 CFB season for “serious” violation of team policy

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: Spread offense
• 2022 projected role: Starting RB

Pros: This dude is explosive! Jaylan Knighton offers a ton of burst and fluidity with the ball in his hands and was a productive player despite a lack of efficient rushing touches in the Hurricanes’ backfield last season. Knighton made several big plays happen in the open field with his ability as a pass-catcher—pinballing off tackles against Florida State on one opportunity and catching a wheel route for a long touchdown in another game—throughout the season. Knighton finished as the Hurricanes’ leading rusher and second-leading weapon in yards from scrimmage despite playing in just eight games—a testament to his big-play capabilities. He’s got easy gas and sudden acceleration at his disposal, winning foot races with ease to blow away defenders. There’s a lot to like from a natural talent perspective. 

Cons: The questions surrounding Jaylan Knighton come on several fronts. The first is that he’s fairly undersized to be an every-down player. As a result, his draft resume may be hindered. Can he add weight and mass onto a frame that is fairly angular and lean? Knighton is also a vertical runner and does not run with a lot of forward lean to reduce his strike zone, even if he approaches open-field runs with an aggressive demeanor. There is also the off-the-field circumstances that led to Knighton missing the first four games of last season with a suspension. Are NFL teams comfortable with the specifics of that situation? That will be a hard question to answer until the actual draft. And finally, Knighton will need to be able to produce more tough yardage in order to raise his stock. His per-carry average was victim to some poor line play but inevitably he’s going to need to be able to create more hard yards on his own in the NFL.

Jaylan Knighton NFL Draft Scouting Report by Kyle Crabbs