As you can probably imagine, Alabama State isn't one of the top schools when it comes to finding NFL talent. Despite attending a small school though, T Jylan Ware still managed to make it to the big leagues when the Raiders used one of their 7th round picks on him. No matter what happens from here on out, he gets to say he fulfilled his dream of being drafted.
Ware is a tall, athletic tackle that is the ultimate project type player. He played against lesser competition at Alabama State so it's tough to judge exactly what his potential is, but he also is a player that is set to be molded into whatever he needs to be in the NFL.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a flier in round 7 on a project player with the type of athleticism that Ware has. We will have to wait and see what comes of it but he is certainly an intriguing project player to add to the Raiders.
Measurables:
Height: 6'8”
Weight: 310lbs.
40-yard dash: 4.99
Broad Jump: 9'5”
Verticle Jump: 29”
3-Cone Drill: 7.96
Strengths:
Jylan Ware is a big, athletic tackle who surprises with how quick he is for a man his size. Mike Mayock called him a “Dancing Bear” because of how agile he is for his frame. He has long arms and uses them well by timing out his punches very well. Gets to the 2nd level very quickly, though tough to tell how much of that was his talent and how much was the lesser competition he played against.
Weaknesses:
The biggest weakness is that he is noticeably slow out of his stance which would be a big problem in the NFL. The speed rushers in the NFL are hard enough when you time everything perfectly, giving them a head start by being slow off the line is a recipe for disaster.
Ware also needed to add bulk to his frame because he only weighed 295 last season despite being 6'8, though he already is up to around 310lbs. Needs a lot of coaching on his technique and footwork, is able to be knocked off balance from being too flat footed at times. Played against lesser competition and might take time adjusting to the extreme difference in ability the NFL is going to throw at him.
What he brings to the Raiders:
With Jylan Ware's long frame and quickness on the outside there is no doubt that he will be a tackle for the Raiders. That is if he can be coached up of course because he is certainly a project player. Even if Ware is a project, he is one with a lot of upside considering his impressive athleticism and big body.
There is no way to know how he is going to perform against better competition but he certainly looked the part against the lesser players he was going against. If he can get to the outside and lay out cornerbacks in the NFL like he was able to do in college there might be a place for him with the Raiders. Though that place might just be the practice squad, it will be very interesting to see how he develops once he hits the field against NFL talent.
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