With the No. 194 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Auburn linebacker/defensive end Jalen McLeod.
Player
Photo by Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Background
Name: Jalen McLeod (mc-CLOUD)
Class: Fifth-year senior
Age: 22 (turns 23 in June)
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
High school: Friendship Collegiate
Recruiting: 3-star
Consensus ranking: 310 (LB34)
Accolades: 2022 – Honorable Mention All-SBC
X: @_JayRashaan
Stats
Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Interceptions Fumbles Season Team Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Comb TFL Sk Int Yds IntTD PD FR Yds FRTD FF Awards
2020* Appalachian State Sun Belt FR LB 5 7 2 9 2 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
2021* Appalachian State Sun Belt SO LB 14 11 15 26 3 1.0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2022 Appalachian State Sun Belt SO LB 11 18 23 41 8 6.0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 2
2023* Auburn SEC JR LB 12 35 13 48 11 5.5 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 2024 Auburn SEC SR LB 12 39 18 57 14 8.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
Career 54 110 71 181 38 22.5 0 0 0 6 3 4 0 6 Appalachian State (3 Yrs) 30 36 40 76 13 9.0 0 0 0 4 1 4 0 3 Auburn (2 Yrs) 24 74 31 105 25 13.5 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 3
Stock
via NFL Mock Draft Database
Reports
From Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:
Hungry, productive prospect who might need to prove he can fit into a role as an edge defender despite his lack of size and length. McLeod plays with the might of a player in a much bigger weight class. He’s technically sound at the point with fast hands and a quick discard of the block. He has aligned off-ball and diagnoses fairly quickly, but it will be hard to get around his athletic limitations in coverage, pursuit and as a tackler. It’s easy to discount McLeod based purely upon his traits, but he simply makes too many plays to ignore. He could make a team as a smaller 3-4 outside ‘backer.
From Dane Brugler of The Athletic:
With his assignment-based approach, McLeod shows very little lag in his read-react and plays with well-channeled aggressiveness to create pursuit lanes, both as a run defender and pass rusher. His average athletic profile will be more noticeable against NFL talent, especially when tackling or covering in space.
From Jordan Edwards of Sports Info Solutions:
McLeod projects to be a versatile multi-positional back up at the next level. His pass rushing skill set will allow him to be a designated rusher on passing downs, while having the versatility to move around the defensive front. His toughness, motor and athleticism will allow to carve out a role in any defense in the NFL. He also has the experience and temperament to be a solid core-four special teams contributor as well.
From Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team:
McLeod is a tweener prospect whose gifts rushing the passer give him a viable pathway to meaningful NFL reps. He’s taken a roundabout path to the NFL and saw a late-career expansion of his play to off the ball, which gives him some added intrigue to his play. At his core, he’s a low-to-the-ground, twitchy, and high-motor pass rusher who can play from a variety of angles and alignments to play forward and attack the passer. He’s longer than his height would suggest and showcases the play strength necessary to negotiate blocks at the NFL level.
Highlights
All of our 2025 NFL Draft content covering the Jacksonville Jaguars is available HERE.
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