Five Reasons Jesse James is Undervalued

Kyle Pollock

james


Editor’s Note
: This is a Dynasty Scouts exclusive article from a new writer, Kyle Pollock. Remember, our Dynasty Scouts section focuses on the stars of tomorrow, with a laser focus on High School recruits and College players who look to have the talent to be future assets in dynasty leagues and have value today in devy leagues. Dynasty Scouts articles are found in our Premium Content. We look forward to seeing more of Kyle’s work in the future.

Jesse James, #18 TE Penn State
6’7”, 254 pounds
Age at start of NFL season: 21.27

Jesse James is one of only 12 tight ends to measure in at 6’7” or taller, placing him in the nintey-third percentile of all tight ends in the past ten seasons. This size should scream fantasy goodness to dynasty owners. James is also the youngest tight end in the upcoming NFL Draft class, meaning he has a lot of room to grow. After looking at the Rotoviz Scouting Index, which takes the average projections of draft experts to find a consensus on players), James is currently the fourth tight end in the class. He is also the fourth tight end and 38th overall player being drafted in rookie drafts. He is definitely being undervalued right now and I feel he has the best potential out of tight ends in the class not named Maxx Williams. James has five distinct traits that stand out which make him so undervalued.

1.) Size

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As mentioned above, James has excellent size for a tight end – this will allow him to excel in the red zone in the NFL. In three seasons at Penn State, James had 11 touchdowns. He barely played his freshman season and still had five touchdowns, showing how dominant he can be in the red zone. He had three touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. This season was particularly impressive, as Penn State’s passing game was horrendous. Star quarterback Christian Hackenberg was constantly under pressure due to a make shift offensive line made up of two redshirt freshman and two converted defensive linemen. James was one of the lone bright spots in the Penn State passing game this season. In his career, James had accounted for roughly 20% of all Penn State’s receiving touchdowns, which is a solid number for such a young tight end. Expect James to continue his red zone success at the next level.

2.) Versatility

James can line up anywhere on the field as a tight end. At Penn State, he most often lined up as an H-Back, but was also lined up on the line of scrimmage a good amount. It also wasn’t uncommon to see him lined up out wide as a wide receiver. His versatility will allow for him to step in for a team immediately. Since he is so versatile, he will be able to step into any teams scheme and succeed. If a team is looking for a move tight end, James can fit that mold. He can also play as a prototypical in line tight end for a team. If a team is desperate for a red zone option, James can certainly help out in that area.

3.) Blocking/Strength

James is an above average blocker. He is a much better run blocker than pass blocker at the moment, but he should be able to continue improving on that front. Because of his massive size, he can easily push around defenders when run blocking. He does a nice job at sealing off the edge when run blocking. James is a very strong player. Last spring, he bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times, which would have placed him in the top 89% of all tight ends at the combine in the last ten seasons. He has also deadlifted 495 pounds 12 times, showing that he has good upper and lower body strength. This strength should allow him to be an above average blocker in the NFL, and will help him get on the field earlier and more often than other tight ends in the class. James also uses his strength to gain separation against defenders and fight for extra yards.

4.) Open Field Ability

Many people believe James is unathletic and is not fast enough to be one of the better tight ends in this class. James has reportedly run in the 4.6’s for the 40-yard dash, which would be phenomenal for a player his size. He isn’t an athletic freak, but he is athletic enough to occasionally make a defender miss and get extra yards. James’ main open field strength is his ability to take big hits and be able to bounce off tacklers. He does this by using his strength to absorb contact and break tackles. James has consistently done this throughout his career. He continually shakes off defender to get a first down, or even just an extra couple yards.

5.) Route Running

James is also an above average route runner. He can run short, intermediate, or deep routes. He isn’t exceptional at route running, but he is better than most prospects at this stage. Besides the red zone, the area where James excels the most stretching the field. James’ toughness and strength also allows for him to go over the middle and take a big hit. This play against UCF displays all of these traits for James:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66TvH_cE_bQ#t=71

James makes a nice catch (displaying his big catch radius) and is able to take a big hit, two areas that he consistently showed throughout his career. James also runs a beautiful route. The brief step he takes inside allows for him to bust the zone wide open. James will be able to rack up a lot of yards if he can continue to do this in the NFL. He also has a good release off the line of scrimmage, which allows for him to get a step or two on a defender when he runs short and intermediate routes. This season, he was consistently able to bail out Hackenberg when he was under pressure. James was good at improvising on routes to keep drives alive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66TvH_cE_bQ#t=95

On this play, James runs a nice route, but Hackenberg initially misses him. James decides to come back across the field, and is able to make a tough catch to keep the chains moving. James should be able to catch a few passes underneath every game as a safety valve for his quarterback. He can also be a player that a quarterback will look to on third down to move the chains. Right now, the best routes James runs are deep ones. If he can continue to improve on other routes, he can become a dominant player.

Final Take

James has everything you want in a tight end. He is a player is good, but not great in all facets of his game. James loves the red zone, as he has excellent size that should allow him to catch a lot of touchdowns. I would compare James to Bears tight end Martellus Bennett. He is stronger and more versatile than Bennett, but he is comparable as a blocker and route runner. Bennett may also be faster than James, but we will know for certain after the combine. Both players also excel in the red zone. Speed will ultimately determine if James is a dominant tight end, or just a situational red zone threat. James will also need to put on more weight, as he is on the light side right now. Jesse James is extremely undervalued right now, as he does have the upside to become a top 12 fantasy tight end which no other tight ends in this class besides Maxx Williams do.

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