Along with Kosta Boskovic, I have recently joined the East West Football Network and will be contributing scouting reports as well as other draft news and insights to the website. We run the Bold Take Scouting Podcast, feel free to check it out, as well as our instagram page, @boldtakescouting.
This scouting report focuses on Ja’Marr Chase, the star WR for LSU. Chase opted-out of the 2020 college football season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. In 2019, Chase was a First team All-SEC, a unanimous All-American, and the 2019 Biletnikoff recipient, which is presented to the best WR in college football. Chase measures in at 6’1 200lbs, and is a great deep threat.
Strengths: Chase was a dominant WR last year as part of one of the best offenses of all time last year with LSU. Simply looking at his stats for a WR playing beside a first round talent in Justin Jefferson is mind boggling, 1700 yards and 20 tds. Jefferson was a great prospect in the 2020 NFL draft, but Chase is even better. His vertical route running is great, displaying a ton of ability to create separation. He also shows a great ability to get off the line in press coverage, not struggling with physical CBs, as seen in the Alabama game, which had the best corners he would go up against all season. Chase also shows a great ability to find the soft spots in zones and come back to the quarterback when the play breaks down. He has reliable hands, rarely dropping passes and catches the ball with his hands, not his body. Although not extremely tall at 6’0, Chase displays a great ability to go up and catch the jump ball. He has a knack for locating the ball in the air and going up and grabbing it, sometimes right out of the defenders hands. He is thicker than most corners and can be hard to bring down. Chase also played against some of the best talent in the SEC and showed up big time when it mattered most in the National Championship Game, catching 2 tds and 220 yards on AJ Terrell, who went in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Weaknesses: While he plays bigger than he is, Chase is still only 6’0. He isn’t the most athletic WR by any means and he isn’t the fastest. He will probably clock in around 4.45 in the 40 at the combine, which consists of good not great speed for an elite receiver. He can struggle at times with shorter routes out to the sideline, and doesn’t have the fastest breaks. He did only produce in one of his two seasons at LSU, while surrounded by immense talent. He was playing next to a first round WR in Jefferson, a first round RB in Edwards-Helaire, and had the first overall pick throwing him the ball in Joe Burrow. All of the talent around him definitely made it easier on him this season, as he was less focused on.
Bottom Line: Chase is a star: He stood out in the LSU games last year on a roster full of NFL talent. He is a great vertical route runner, and although he isn’t the best on out breaking routes, there is no reason to think that those won’t improve. He is not afraid to get physical with DBs and is a great jump ball receiver. His hands are very reliable and he has the frame to run routes across the middle. Although a lot of jump ball receivers can underwhelm at the NFL level, Chase is much more than just a jump ball receiver. Sure, he has a minor weakness or two, but there is so much he can do, so the weaknesses don’t really bother me too much. There is no reason to think that Chase will not be an All-Pro WR at some point in his NFL career.
Draft Projection: Early Round 1
