Jalen Pitre Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

Defensive Back , Baylor, #8

Jalen Pitre Scouting Report Measurements

5’11” / 198 lbs.

40 Yard Dash Time: 4.40 (estimate)

 

Jalen Pitre NFL Draft Player Profile

Jalen Pitre is a former 3-star recruit out of Stafford High School in Stafford, Texas.  While in high school, Pitre only drew interest from five division one programs. Those schools were; Texas St., Texas A&M, TCU, Nebraska, SMU and of course Baylor. Although all of these schools were interested in Pitre, he only got scholarship offers from SMU and Baylor. However, he only received two scholarship offers because he committed to Baylor at the beginning of his junior season.

When looking at his stats on MaxPreps, I realized that he was a force on the defensive side of the ball. His sophomore season was by far his best season while in the secondary. Pitre played a total of 11 games and racked up 6 interceptions, 7 passes defensed and 3 fumble recoveries. He also had a total of 78 tackles (56 of which were solo). Going into his junior season, Pitre knew that he needed to step up his game if he wanted to improve his ranking. Unfortunately, Pitre only played a total of five games. However, I should note that he was very effective in those five games. Although he did not have an interception during the season, he still had 2 passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Pitre did rack up a total of 41 tackles (25 of which were solo). Finally, it is time to talk about the season that was by far the most impressive. That would be this previous year, his senior season. Pitre racked up a total of 83 tackles (59 solo), 6 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries and 1 pass defense.

 

Jalen Pitre’s Strengths

 

Run Defense

Although there are a lot of talented defensive players in this draft class, Pitre is one of the scariest run stoppers. Regardless of where Pitre is lined up, he is almost always involved in stopping a run. Some people may see Pitre’s thinner frame as a negative. However, his thin frame allows him to slip passed blockers and make a tackle.

 

High Motor

If I had to describe one aspect of Pitre’s game that stood out to me, it would be his motor. I have watched countless hours of film on Pitre while he was at Baylor. While watching that film, I rarely saw him give up on a play. As a GM, I would put Pitre high up on my draft board regardless of my positional needs. I know this may be surprising because he is usually projected to go in the 2^nd round. Let me explain, having a player who is talented is always a positive. But, if you have a player who is talented and will outwork everyone on the field, that is something special. Personally, I love to watch film on Pitre stopping the run. His ability to stop a running back across the field before they get to the line of scrimmage is rare.

Versatility

Jalen Pitre is one of the most versatile players in the 2022 NFL Draft Class. Although he primarily plays safety, I think he has played every position at one point or another for Baylor. He possesses all of the skills you want from a safety in today’s NFL. As I noted earlier, he is a fantastic run stopper, but he is also very good when lined up in the slot. He has elite acceleration that allows him to gain leverage on a receiver in the slot. Although some people question his top speed, with the type of player he is, I don’t think that matters. Most of the plays that he is involved in are usually within 10 yards of where he is lined up.

Jalen Pitre’s Weaknesses

Ball Skills

Since Pitre has not played many snaps in deep zone coverage, his ball skills are lacking. Personally, I think this is a big reason why he isn’t seen as a consensus 1^st round draft pick. If Pitre gets more familiar in zone coverage and reading the QB’s eyes, his ball skills will improve. I should also note that this should not scare anyone away from drafting Pitre. Unless you are planning on using him in a 2 deep safety system, he will be just fine.

Field Vision

As I briefly noted earlier, Pitre’s field vision and comfort in zone coverage is lacking. I have seen a lot of snaps where a receiver snuck around him while in zone for a solid gain. This is a big reason why a team should draft him as a slot corner to start with. After a few years, if you want to experiment with him at safety, you can work on developing those skills. I would draft him as a slot corner who would occasionally play as a stack linebacker.

Jalen Pitre Draft Stock

Although many people see Pitre as a mid 2^nd round draft pick, I would not hesitate to take him in the late first round. Personally, I have two teams in mind who would really benefit from Pitre’s game. Those teams are the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets. If the top corners are gone by pick 31, I would pull the trigger on Pitre if I were the Bengals. This is because of them addressing other needs in free agency.

Final Thoughts on Jalen Pitres Scouting Report

Pitre is one of the most underrated top talents in this 2022 NFL Draft class. His ability to stop the run and have a big presence wherever he is on the field is rare to see. Pitre has a very bright future as a slot corner or even as a stack linebacker. I would not draft him if I needed a “stereotypical” safety, because of his lack of ball skills and vision.

Player Comparison

Budda Baker

Jalen Pitre Scouting Report analyst-Matthew Lewis.