From now until the 2026 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 to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Incarnate Word WR Jalen Walthall.
No. 6 Jalen Walthall/WR Incarnate Word 6010, 191 pounds (Fifth-year Senior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Jalen Walthall 6010/191 9″ 31 1/4″ N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.57 1.59 N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
10’11” 35″ N/A
The Good
– Smooth, athletic frame
– Good suddenness off the line of scrimmage
– Able to threaten the cushion of defensive backs early in the route
– Understands how to stack defenders when he gains a half-step of separation
– Fluidly deaccelerates at the top of his route, which creates separation on vertical breakdown routes
– Catch-point winner despite physical limitations
– Demonstrates good use of late hands
– Able to contort his body mid-air to adjust to off-target throws
– Strong and reliable hands
– Consistently makes the first defender miss in the open field
The Bad
– Lacks the density to play on the boundary
– Doesn’t have sustained track speed despite being a vertical threat in college
– May struggle to detach and pull away from NFL speed at corner
– Less than ideal arm length and hand size, which affects his ability in jump ball situations
– Timing gets disrupted when facing more physical corners at the line of scrimmage
– Limited route exposure
– Struggles on in-breaking routes with drifting and rounding
– Liability when tasked with blocking on the perimeter or crack-blocks
Stats
– 2025 stats: 70 receptions, 850 yards, 12.1 yards per reception, 8 touchdowns, 10 games played
– Career stats: 192 receptions, 2598 yards, 13.5 yards per reception, 24 touchdowns, 40 games played
– IW Career stats: 155 receptions, 2139 yards, 13.8 yards per reception, 22 touchdowns, 24 games played
– Hawai’i Career stats: 37 receptions, 458 yards, 12.4 yards per reception, 2 touchdowns, 16 games played
– 2.8 drop percentage (2025)
– 47.6 catch in traffic conversion rate (2025)
– 12.2 adjusted depth of target (2025)
– 2.07 yards per route run (2025)
– 2.25 yards per route run (Career at IW)
Injury History
– Missed time during his senior season of high school with a foot injury (2020)
– Battled an early, unspecified injury that caused him to miss the game against Eastern Washington (2025)
Background
– 23 years old
– Three-star recruit out of Manvel High School
– Spent his first three seasons committed to Hawai’i before finishing his final two seasons with Incarnate Word
– Earned first-team All-State as a senior
– Scored 32 touchdowns and averaged 24.4 yards per catch over his last two varsity seasons
– Track and field star who won the 2021 UIL 5A State Title in the Triple Jump with leap of 50’4″
– Placed fifth in the 2021 State Meet with a high jump of 6’4″ and has a personal best of 6’6″
– First-team All-Southland Conference (2024, 2025)
– Ranked third in the FCS in receiving yards (1290) and second in touchdowns (14) (2024)
– Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Consensus first-team All-American (2024)
– Walter Payton Award Finalist (2024) (FCS Heisman Trophy)
– Viral “headstand” touchdown celebration was inspired by Stomp the Yard
– Nicknamed “Pac-Man”
– Cites that doubters fuel his work ethic, and he plays with a “chip on his shoulder” mentality
– Majors in Psychology
Tape Breakdown
Walthall transferred to Incarnate Word after failing to earn much playing time at Hawai’i, and that decision could not have paid off more. He established himself as one of the more dominant receivers at the FCS level. Incarnate Word used him primarily on the boundary as a vertical threat, but he does not possess the pure long speed to fill that same role at the next level.
He is a good, not great, athlete who can still win downfield, but it is more likely he does so with his leaping ability rather than his speed. The former state-champion leaper brings his hops to the gridiron, making him effective in jump-ball situations despite his arm length and hand size being less than ideal for that role.
While his primary role in the offense was to threaten downfield and showcase his leaping ability, he also displayed impressive ball-tracking skills. He is an innate catch-point winner despite his limitations, thanks to his advanced “late hands” technique, which helps prevent defensive backs from swiping at his arms before the ball arrives.
When he attacks the ball at its apex, he shows a natural ability to contort his body in mid-air and seamlessly adjust to underthrown or back-shoulder passes. Paired with ultra-reliable hands that can pluck the ball away from his frame, you get a fundamentally sound, contested-catch winner.
As a route runner, he was not asked to handle much complexity. His assignments were somewhat predictable, primarily asking him to run hitches, go routes, deep posts, and bubble screens. Limiting him to these routes maximized what he does best: exploding off the line with his first step and stopping on a dime.
When getting vertical, he does a good job fighting through contact during the stem to maintain his path on the red line. He understands how to stack defenders once he gets on top of them and keeps them in a trailing position.
There were not many opportunities for him to showcase his horizontal route-running ability, but he does show an innate ability to sink his hips on hitches and comebacks. The twitch in his lower body allows him to generate a spark of separation, even if he remains underdeveloped as a route runner.
After securing the catch, Walthall fully transitions into a dynamic yards-after-catch threat in the open field. He shows good vision and an outstanding ability to beat the first defender. His stop-start quickness and change-of-direction skills make him difficult to bring down initially.
Conclusion
Walthall is a player I expect to get opportunities in the preseason and make the most of them. Though he is not the fastest player on the field, despite serving as a vertical threat in college, it may take time for him to see meaningful snaps while his route running develops.
He lacks pure speed but offers good change of direction for his size and excellent leaping ability. He won’t separate as easily in the NFL, but he consistently makes tough, contested catches.
What ultimately drives down his grade is how scheme-dependent his success may be. He will likely struggle in a West Coast system that prefers receivers to win on precise, timing-based routes. He fits best in spread or Air Coryell offenses that isolate him in vertical matchups.
Cedrick Wilson provides a good baseline comparison for how Walthall’s game could translate. Both are agile, above-average athletes who excel after the catch and consistently move the chains. Wilson was more polished early, but Walthall’s agility and fluid hips give him strong route-running upside.
NFL Draft Projection: Late Day Three – UDFA
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.2 – 7.2
Games Watched: @ South Dakota State (2024), vs. Nicholls (2024), vs. Lamar (2024), @ Northern Arizona (2025), @ UT Rio Grand Valley (2025), vs. Lamar (2025), @ NW State (2025), @ Houston Christian (2025)
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