2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Alabama RB Jase McClellan

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Alabama RB Jase McClellan

#2 JASE MCCLELLAN/RB ALABAMA – 5103, 221 LBS. (SENIOR)

Senior Bowl Invite (DNP – Injury)
Combine

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

– Solid frame, muscular and dense throughout
– Very good contact balance to absorb hits and stay on his feet
– Solid burst, able to accelerate from a stop quickly
– Good enough speed to get around the edge on outside runs
– Good ball security with just one fumble in college
– Experience on special teams punt and kick units
– Good strength and technique as a blocker in pass pro when he identifies his man in time
– Solid hands as a pass catcher

THE BAD

– Feet are very narrow as a runner
– Poor mental processing, takes him a while to identify the hole
– High pad level as a runner
– Struggles to identify his man in pass protection
– Inexperienced as a pass catcher out of the backfield
– Doesn’t consistently use his free arm as a weapon in the open field
– Extensive injury history

BIO

– Originally a four-star prospect out of Aledo HS in Aledo, TX
– Played all four seasons at Alabama and became the starter in 2023
– Had 355 carries, 1,981 yards, 18 touchdowns, 40 receptions, 409 yards, and six touchdowns
– High school track athlete with 10.91 100-meter dash and 22.82 200-meter dash
– Committed to Oklahoma prior to his sophomore season of HS, decommitted and chose Alabama two years later
– Unable to participate in the Senior Bowl due to injury
– Fractured wrist and knee injuries in high school
– Missed 10 games in 2021 with an ACL
– Missed SEC Championship with foot injury that made him miss most of the pre-draft process

TAPE BREAKDOWN

McClellan lacks that signature trait to set him apart, but one thing that shows up on his tape is his balance. He can absorb some big hits and stay on his feet and find a way to pick up more yards. The first play of this clip he spins out of contact to limit the impact of the hit and gain extra yards. The second play, he takes a huge hit from the safety and somehow stays upright.

He doesn’t always find the hole in time, but when he does he has impressive burst and can break away from the defense. He also has good enough speed to beat defenders’ angles and get the edge.

On this play, he shows that he doesn’t have the instinct to use his free arm as a weapon. A good stiff arm can turn a 10-yard gain into a home run and he had an opportunity to do that here, but did not.

He doesn’t always identify the blitz correctly to be reliable in pass protection, but when he does lock onto a defender he is great at sustaining blocks and has good play strength.

He was barely used as a receiver out of the backfield in college, but he may be able to develop those skills with his good burst and his solid hands. The first play of this clip, he catches the ball cleanly away from his frame. On the second play, he catches the ball in traffic on a screen pass and bursts upfield for a touchdown.

CONCLUSION

McClellan does a lot of things well, but lacks a game-defining trait that can set him apart at the NFL level. I think he has the ability to become a good pass catcher, but he will need some work in picking up the blitz in pass protection to be a reliable every-down option. His contact balance is impressive despite his narrow feet and high pad level, so he has even more room to improve that already impressive trait. He has an injury history that presents some risk. He is a less refined version of Cam Akers coming out of college.

Projection: Mid-Late Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 6.5MED – End of Roster/Practice Squad (6th-7th)
Games Watched: at Michigan (2023), vs Arkansas (2023), vs Utah State (2022)