Jalen Mayfield is an offensive tackle from the University of Michigan. He started to gain hype during the 2019 CFB season when he was one of the only guys who was able to contain Chase Young when they played Ohio State. He has decent athleticism as well as versatility and with a few technical cleanups he can be a great tackle or guard.

Strengths: 

  • Great Size/Speed Combo in Run Game

Jalen Mayfield does a great job in the run game because of his speed to get to the second level combined with good size and a fiery tenacity that allows him to maul defenders as well.

  • Takes Smart Angles in Pass Pro

In pass protection Mayfield outsmarts his opponents rather than overpowering them. He has a good understanding of angles and will choke off the edge. He’s also prepared for counter moves inside.

  • Strong Anchor with Recovering Ability

Once Mayfield anchors down, he gets really good knee bend and he’s in a position of power. It’s tough to move him off of his anchor and even when he is moved off of his spot he recovers very well.

  • Good Hand Placement

Jalen Mayfield does a good job using his hands to gain leverage on defensive lineman. His placement of his hands gets linemen to go where he wants them to go, which is very effective.

Weaknesses: 

  • Short Arms

Jalen Mayfield may have some concerns at tackle and might have to be moved into guard because of his short arms. This is also partially a cause behind his late punch at times.

  • Balance Issues

One of Mayfield’s biggest issues is when he gets baited by a pass rusher and is too aggressive to finish a play and he ends up off balance. This is where he loses a majority of his reps. 

  • Bad Footwork

Jalen Mayfield really needs to clean up his footwork if he’s going to be good in the NFL. He’s so inconsistent with his footwork and the depth he gets in his kick step varies, and faster rushers will get him off balance early because of this.

Player Comp: I think a decent player comparison for Jalen Mayfield would be Bobby Massie currently of the Chicago Bears. Both guys were extremely big and strong guys who were very tough to move once they anchored down. They also both had surprising quickness and could get to the second level of the run game, and they had good powerful hands,\ that were placed well. Their footwork and balance issues are also very similar although Massie certainly had longer arms than Mayfield.

Final Thoughts: Opinion on Jalen Mayfield varies depending on who you ask but quite honestly with all takes considered I think I’m just around the general opinion of Jalen Mayfield. He’s not the guy I’d necessarily want to be the blindside blockers of my franchise QB but I think he’d make a solid RT or a very good guard, and I think he’s a guy I’d take in the early to mid second round. Team fits are probably teams in need of a RT and RG so I think the Jets would be a good spot to get someone opposite of Mekhi Becton to protect their new QB, who will likely be Zach Wilson.