Notre Dame football: Predicting Jalen Elliott’s NFL Draft status
By Matt Clark
Former Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott is predicted to be selected in the middle rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, we predict where he will land.
Former Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott is being projected as a probable pick in the middle to later rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. Many draft experts have Elliott pegged as a player who is likely going to be a hybrid cornerback/safety in the National Football League.
Elliott lacks strong tackling skills and hit power that are routine traits among NFL safeties. However, he does not have the top-end speed of an NFL cornerback, having posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.80 at the NFL Combine.
That said, Elliott possesses strong fundamentals and high leadership abilities that will likely make him a solid situational player on an NFL team’s secondary or at the very least a serviceable backup and special teams player.
Jalen Elliott’s career at Notre Dame was consistently solid but not spectacular. That’s not a knock on Elliott, as consistency is certainly a characteristic that all NFL teams cherish. He has the intangibles to make him a worthy selection in the middle to late rounds of the NFL Draft.
I predict that the Washington Redskins will select Elliott in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 162nd overall pick. Initially, the Redskins traded away their fifth pick (148th overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for quarterback Kyle Allen. However, they received the 162nd overall selection in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Quinton Dunbar.
The selection of Jalen Elliott gives the Redskins a player who provides depth to a secondary that includes Landon Collins, Sean Davis, Deshazor Everett, Kendall Fuller, Danny Johnson, Fabian Moreau, Jeremy Reaves, Greg Stroman, and Simeon Thomas.
After the Redskins released former Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman, they are pretty shallow in terms of depth in their secondary. Outside of Collins and Fuller, Elliott should have the ability to step in and compete for valuable playing time in the Redskins secondary.
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Jalen Elliott will undoubtedly be a player that NFL teams will value as a depth piece for their secondary. Regardless of where he is ultimately selected, the team choosing Elliott will receive a vocal leader who is an extremely sound player.