Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
- 6-0, 208
- 40 time: 4.46
- Projection: First Round
Overview
Chase’s rise from a mildly productive target to the winner of the 2019 Biletnikoff Award was a bit of a stunner as he became Joe Burrow’s favorite target in LSU’s season to remember.
As a true freshman in 2018, Chase earned seven starts and finished with only 313 receiving yards. The LSU buzz saw began to turn in 2019 though, and he collected 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
Chase opted out of the 2020 season.
Strengths
- Chase has some of the softest mitts around for a receiver.
- Ball tracking downfield stands out, as he is comfortable catching passes over both shoulders. D
- Does a great job of elevating and playing the ball in the air, and he is never uncomfortable in a 50/50 situation.
- Tough runner after the catch who can break through arm tackles and power his way for additional yardage.
- Active with his hands along the route and uses great upper-body technique to disengage from corners.
Weaknesses
- Chase is a good athlete, but his quickness in and out of breaks isn’t something to hang his hat on.
- Struggles to consistently create separation with explosiveness; he relies on winning with physicality for a lot of his success.
- Average lateral agility makes him unlikely to elude defenders in the open field or easily get off press, and his reliance on playing through opponents rather than around them will limit his options.
Pro comparison
A.J. Brown, Titans: Brown’s soft hands and ability after the catch have led to a lot of early production as a pro, and Chase will be looking to mirror that with a similar style of play.
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
