Pros and cons of Indianapolis Colts picking Missouri football’s Jaylon Carlies in 2024 NFL Draft
Missouri football safety Jaylon ‘JC’ Carlies is officially an NFL rookie after being picked by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Orlando, Florida, native was selected by the Colts with the No. 151-overall pick, coming in the fifth round of the draft Saturday in Detroit.
Carlies became the sixth Mizzou player to come off the board and the third on Saturday. He follows defensive end Darius Robinson (Arizona Cardinals, No. 27); cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Detroit Lions, No. 61) and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper (Green Bay Packers, No. 91); offensive lineman Javon Foster (Jacksonville Jaguars, No. 114); and corner Kris Abrams-Draine (Denver Broncos, No. 145) as Tigers who have heard their name called.
Just five picks separated Carlies and his defensive-back partner in Columbia, Abrams-Draine.
Here's what Carlies brings to Indy, based on his career with Missouri.
What Jaylon Carlies brings to the Indianapolis Colts in 2024 NFL Draft
Carlies is a much-improved tackler with tremendous ball-hawking ability.
But even though he was taken off the board as a safety, there’s a chance he makes the switch to linebacker early in his NFL career. He checked into the combine nearly 10 pounds heavier, and has consistently shown that he’s a hard-hitter with good attack angles, if not the best when he’s forced to switch direction.
Jayon Carlies’ highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Missouri
Carlies has a good eye for route-recognition and has the ball skills to supplement that. Earlier in his career, he struggled with open-field tackling but made significant strides in his senior season.
Former Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker was fond of calling the blitz, and Carlies seemed to thrive in that system. He’s quick off the mark and tough at the line of scrimmage, making him a useful threat when he steps up into the box.
At free safety, though, he at times looked a little lost as the Tigers switched through coverages. As mentioned, there is a good chance he moves up to the defensive front in Indianapolis. He had a career-high 4.5 tackles for loss last season, including two sacks.
Jaylon Carlies’ stats with Missouri
Carlies was Missouri’s leading tackler for the past two seasons, as he was a mainstay at free safety for the Tigers.
Last season, he had 64 total tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, six passes defended, a forced fumble and a recovery in 12 games.
Over the course of his four-year MU career, he managed 221 total tackles, 159 solo, and nine interceptions in 48 games.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Colts draft Missouri football’s JC Carlies in 2024 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick
