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2021 NFL Draft prospect
Jaelon Darden
age 22.3 · 5'7" · 174 lb
On the live board, bust risk sits at 20% and the realistic range is No. 115 to No. 265.
American Athletic→ TAM's 2021 class
Limited public-board coverage (0 boards) — grade leans on stats + athleticism alone
Backtest: model vs. reality
The model graded Jaelon Darden at pick #172; he was actually picked #129 by TAM. 4 NFL seasons in, he's barely gotten on the field (grading 2.3 of 20 per season), and the market has paid him — a second deal at $0.3M a year. The 4-tier model has him as a likely role. NFL grades have been modest so far (1% recent-3, 4% peak across 4 seasons).
Overview
Headline grade, verdict, and the one-line scout take
Draftanomics Rank
Low convictionprojected rangeRounds 4-6half of comparable prospects went picks 115-207WR·North Texas
The league moved faster than our board — TAM took him at No. 129, 43 picks ahead of our No. 172 grade. His career is settling that argument now.
Scouting report
The written report — drafted from the fact sheet, every number traceable, honest about what we can't see yet
Why this grade
Which signals drove the grade up or down — in plain English
Consensus
The analyst room, accuracy-weighted, plus where Draftanomics disagrees with it
Production4
Measurables, traits, and college play quality
Risk2
Bust probability, injury history, character flags, pre-mortem
Team fit5
How well this prospect fits each of the 32 team schemes
Will he be there?
Probability he's still on the board at each of your picks
Comps5
Historical players this prospect resembles
Film & notes
Clips, scout notes, voice memos, written reports