Jalon Kilgore

The Player

Kilgore has an excellent blend of size, speed, length, and ball skills, but his tape doesn’t quite mirror his talent. He can reroute receivers and stay in their hip pockets in press coverage, and he matches up well with tight ends working out of the slot. He reads the quarterback and closes well when he plants and drives on passes. He picked off eight passes over the past three seasons. He played receiver in high school, and it shows—he has big hands and long arms and tracks and catches the ball well. He gets his head turned in time to locate the ball in press coverage and elevates to make a play on it (he had 15 passes defended over the past two seasons). 

Kilgore gives up too much separation to quicker route runners. His footwork is choppy, and he has a tendency to gather and take an extra step to plant and drive. He can bite on the receiver’s first move and get beaten off the line when he doesn’t win with his hands in press coverage. He can shoot his hands and keep blockers off his frame when he plays over the slot. He has impressive stopping power when he gets downhill and squares up to ballcarriers, and his length is an asset when he attempts to lasso them. 

When Kilgore plays in the box, he can get stuck on blocks and engulfed by offensive linemen. However, he has the frame to develop into an effective box safety and can slip blocks in tight spaces. He falls off tackles and doesn’t recover well when he takes a bad angle. He doesn’t show a great feel for where blockers are coming from when he gets into space. He primarily lined up over the slot and in the box at South Carolina, but he also played free safety and wide corner. He’s a team captain and three-year starter who declared for the draft following his true junior season.

The Draft

Kilgore is a top-10 safety prospect and a top-100 overall prospect in this class. A South Carolina defensive back has been drafted in the top 100 picks in three of the past five drafts.

The Projection

Kilgore’s frame, length, and speed compare favorably to those of 2018 first-round pick Derwin James Jr., but Kilgore doesn’t have first-round tape, making him a bit of a low-floor but high-ceiling prospect. He’s talented enough to exceed expectations and start as a rookie if a team can unlock his potential, but he may start his career as a rotational defensive back and special teams contributor.