Jared Ivey 2025 NFL Draft Overview
Measurables:
Height-6’6”
Weight-274
40-Yard Dash Time – 4.75 seconds
Arm Length- 33 ½ inches
Hand Size- 9 1/8 inches
Accolades:
College Football Network All-SEC First Team (2023)
Defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl (2023)
Coaches All-SEC Third Team (2024)
2025 NFL Draft: Jared Ivey Scouting Report
The edge rusher talent in the 2025 NFL Draft pool is strong. Ole Miss’s Jared Ivey is yet another talented prospect who can get after the quarterback.
Player Background:
The 6’6” Jared Ivey hails from Ole Miss but started his collegiate career in 2020 with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Combined, he earned a total of 43 starts in his career as an edge rusher and found success with both schools. Ivery’s career was somewhat of a low-key one but he’s being talked about as a potential sleeper in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Teams are starting to find out that having two to three decent edge rushers on the roster is a must. Because of that, Ivey is going to get a look by several teams as a possibility in the draft.
Ivey hails from Suwanee, Georgia where he attended North Gwinnett High School. In high school, he was a top-rated recruit and played basketball. He started his career at Georgia Tech but moved on to Ole Miss in 2022 to finish out his collegiate time. Ivey’s carer totals, which include statistics from Georgia Tech show that he had 80 solo tackles with a combined 165 tackles. He registered 17.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and five pass breakups. He also managed a defensive touchdown during his college career.
Strengths:
There is a lot to like about Ivey. Ivey accelerates off the line quickly and can hit blockers hard with power and a strong punch. He can flip inside and rush through the gaps, instead of off the edge, and will get the best of interior offensive linemen. Some say that Ivery has heavy hands and a strong initial punch that can knock blockers back and allow him to get in position to make the play. His hands never stop moving and he continues to keep them punching throughout the play. Ivey can control the edge by keeping both the running back and the quarterback in the backfield, not allowing them to get past him and gain extra yardage.
Another positive thing about Ivey is that he has a nice set of pass-rushing moves that can keep tackles off balance and keep them guessing. He manages to utilize his tall body and long arms to shed blockers. Ivey gets some good hand movement and utilizes them to his advantage. He can chase down running backs and make the play from the backside.
Weaknesses:
There are some reasons that Ivey isn’t one of the top prospects in this draft. One thing that stands out is that he will likely struggle with offensive tackles in the NFL and get moved too far wide of the play and eventually out of it. When he gets hit hard by an opponent, he will often stray from his path to the quarterback almost seemingly “freezing” in trying to think of what to do next (almost like he’s stunned). While Ivey can get off the line in a hurry, he lacks that initial quick and explosive first step. Offensive tackles with speed could cause him problems.
Ivey needs to work at getting his pads lower. Sometimes he won’t be able to diagnose the play quickly enough and get “washed” away from it. This is also true in the running game where he doesn’t figure out the running play quickly enough, he will get taken out of making the play.
Potential Team Fits:
Kansas City Chiefs
Chicago Bears
San Francisco 49ers
NFL Projection:
The book on Ivey is that he has a lot of upside and, in the right scheme, the potential to flourish. He will require some development to get it together in the NFL, but a team that is willing to take a chance on him might be able to get some reward. He’s not a first-rounder or even a second—or third-round pick. Still, he could be someone who is picked up later and develops in a couple of seasons.
Ivey would likely excel as a 3-4 defensive end. He compares similarly to Chase Young in terms of size but doesn’t have Young’s ability. If he could grow and develop, he could have a more than solid career depending on where he lands.
Prospect Grade:
Rounds 4-5
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images