Jalen
Mcleod.
Jalen
Mcleod.
Auburn
"A five-year climber who went from App State role player to Auburn's most productive rusher, McLeod is a tweener whose NFL job depends on whether a defensive coordinator wants a hybrid or a specialist."Pre-draft read
McLeod plays with speed and leverage rather than mass. He times the snap well, wins the edge with a quick first step, and has the bend to flatten around a tackle's outside shoulder. His best trait is the counter: when the speed rush is walled off, he works back inside with a long-arm or a chop-swim rather than running himself out of the play.
Against the run he is more scrappy than stout. He sets an edge with technique and effort, but a heavy tackle can widen him, and he gets stuck on reach blocks. Auburn also dropped him into short zones and rushed him from off the ball, which is where his athletic profile is most usable at the next level.
Multiple 3-4 front that stands him up as an outside linebacker and lets him rush from a two-point stance on passing downs.
Year 1 core special teamer and situational pass rusher on 15-20 snaps.
Heavy 4-3 base defense that asks him to hold up against tackles on early downs.
Jalen McLeod | Linebacker / Edge Rusher | Full 2024 Auburn Highlights | 2025 NFL Draft
Jalen McLeod Auburn Highlights
LB Jalen McLeod Highlights | 2025 NFL Draft | Jacksonville Jaguars
- 01
Explosive Bend
Displays an explosive first step and legitimate corner-flattening bend.
- 02
Counter Package
Has a real counter package and converts speed to inside moves effectively.
- 03
Peak Production
Production peaked as a senior with 8 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.
- 04
Coverage Capable
Capable in coverage, dropping into short zones and moving off the ball.
- 05
Extensive Experience
Has five years of starting-caliber reps across two levels of competition.
- 01
Undersized Frame
Undersized for a hand-in-the-dirt end, getting displaced against down blocks.
- 02
Inconsistent Anchor
His anchor is inconsistent when offensive tackles get into his chest.
- 03
Late Production
Took until year four to become a full-time producer on the field.
- 04
Undefined Position
His position is undefined, being neither a true edge nor a true off-ball linebacker.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | App State | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | App State | 11 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | App State | 11 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | Auburn | 12 | 50 | 5.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Auburn | 12 | 56 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | — | 50 | 181 | 22.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
McLeod's versatility and athleticism suggest he can develop into a valuable situational pass rusher and key special teams contributor, similar to Baker's early career.
Like Reddick, McLeod projects as an undersized but explosive edge rusher who can consistently pressure the quarterback and make impact plays from a standing position.
At his floor, McLeod still possesses the athletic traits to carve out a role as a depth defender and special teams asset, much like Correa did for several seasons.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Sixth-round selection by Jacksonville in 2025, projected as a situational rusher and special teams contributor.
The production curve is the encouraging part. McLeod went 2 sacks, 1, 6, 5.5, 8 across five seasons and two programs, finishing with 22.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss — a player who kept getting better rather than one who peaked early against weak competition.
In hindsight Jacksonville drafted the traits and the special-teams floor. He is a sixth-rounder because nobody is confident about the position, not because the rush is fake.
If the defensive system commits to him as a stand-up SAM who rushes on third down, there is a rotational role here. If they ask him to play base end, the size shows up immediately.