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2022 NFL draft scouting report: Georgia OL Jamaree Salyer

Eric Edholm
·3 min read

Georgia OL Jamaree Salyer

6-foot-3
321 pounds

Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade

5.70 — possible second-rounder; starter potential

TL;DR scouting report

Acclaimed college tackle with the body and power game to play inside, which is where his athletic limitations can best be covered up

The skinny

A 5-star Rivals recruit (No. 9 nationally) in the Class of 2018, Salyer chose the Bulldogs and saw time as a reserve in 13 games at four positions (everywhere but right tackle). In 2019, he started two of 13 games, playing everywhere but left tackle. Salyer earned a starting role in 2020 as UGA's left tackle but switched to left guard in the bowl game win over Cincinnati. He started again at left tackle in 2021 but shifted over to right guard for the national championship win over Alabama. Salyer attended the Senior Bowl, mostly working inside.

Jamaree Salyer runs football drills during Georgia's Pro Day on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Jamaree Salyer runs football drills during Georgia's Pro Day on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Upside

  • Barrel-chested and long-armed (33 7/8 inches)

  • Great upper-body strength — racked out 31 bench-press reps

  • Big hands (10 inches) with quality strength to latch onto defenders

  • Enough short-area quickness to make late recoveries

  • Keeps light on his feet to make adjustments

  • Improved balance in pass pro

  • Only one sack allowed in nearly 800 pass-block snaps, per PFF

  • Showcase performance in battling Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson

  • Stones rusher with huge pop on contact

  • Power player who seeks to exert his will on the opponent

  • Highly efficient at keeping himself between his man and the ball as pass protector

  • Versatile — played every OL position, including center, past three seasons

  • Emergency center who took reps there at Senior Bowl

  • Plus character and considered a good team leader

Downside

  • Disappointing pro-day numbers in vertical (24), broad (8-foot-2) jumps

  • No 40-yard dash or 3-cone drill at combine or pro day

  • Height very much below par for offensive tackle

  • Needs to keep his weight in check after approaching 340 range in college

  • Too much waist bending in his technique

  • Foot injury cost him four games in 2021

  • Has started only one game at guard — fewer than 200 snaps there

  • Not a great fit for heavy zone-blocking usage

Best-suited destination

Salyer appears destined to land in a gap-blocking scheme, where he can harness his natural power, and appears destined to play inside in the NFL. He could be tried at center, but the belief around the league is that guard might be his best home. What Salyer lacks in athletic prowess, he makes up for with his assignment-sound approach and bullying prowess. A move to guard might also unlock better results, even after a strong college career. He's a tone setter for a team favoring power in the run game, such as the Lions, Panthers, Patriots, Raiders and others.

Did you know

Many watched Salyer and Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson battle in the 2021 college football semifinals, with Sayler winning many one-on-one battles and acquitting himself quite well. But these two have a history that goes back much further. They met several times head to head in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl coming out of high school in January 2018.

Watch at around the :15 mark of this video as the two lock horns and have a few dustups afterward:

Player comp

Nate Davis

Expected draft range

Top 75 pick