The Kentucky Wildcats have a trio of wide receivers worth following in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with his scouting report, North Texas transfer Ja’Mori Maclin could have the highest floor of the bunch. Here’s how Maclin projects with his skill set.
Ja’Mori Maclin’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’10 3/4″
- Weight: 182 pounds
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Kentucky
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
The younger cousin of former NFL standout receiver Jeremy Maclin, Kentucky’s new transfer addition has seen his arc redeemed after four seasons at the collegiate level.
Maclin first signed with an SEC team out of high school, joining the Missouri Tigers as a three-star recruit. But after two seasons and just one solemn catch between them, Maclin transferred down to North Texas for a greater opportunity to produce.
The gambit with the Mean Green paid off. In his first season on the team, Maclin averaged nearly 25 yards per catch. In his second, he became a go-to force within the offense, racking up 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns — scoring once nearly every five receptions.
It was just two years ago that Maclin was a relative afterthought, but now, he might just be one of the most dynamic WRs on the college circuit. That’s a testament to the work he’s put in, and the danger his skill set poses for ill-fated defenders.
Maclin’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Shows off great explosive capacity out of releases and route transitions.
- Lively short-area mover with near-elite foot speed, twitch, and energy in tight spaces.
- Energized accelerator with enough long speed to stretch the field up vertical seams.
- Can weaponize twitch and foot speed on diamond releases to create space at the line.
- Able to cut tight angles off releases and sustain acceleration through route transitions.
- Has superb angle IQ and can stem defenders one way before exploding up seams.
- Workmanlike route runner who can use brisk tempo reductions and stride modulations.
- Can supplement energized short-area freedom with brisk swipes and rips off the line.
- Active scramble-drill adjuster who fervently seeks to find open space all through reps.
- Has shown he can make quick adjustments back to the ball and decouple with length.
- Can contort and snare passes beyond his frame with very little response time.
- Has flashed the ability to high-point RAC passes in stride with diamond technique.
- Will actively use the length he has to compound separation at the catch point.
- Can use his agility and energetic foot speed to swim through crowds as a RAC threat.
- Steely, chippy competitor who plays larger than his frame in multiple phases.
Weaknesses
- Frame has below average size overall, with lacking mass and middling height and length.
- Has room to add more mass to his frame to better compete against NFL contact.
- With short-strider mold, doesn’t quite have elite long speed or long-track explosiveness.
- Vertical tracking isn’t always seamless, as jumps and hops can reduce catch efficiency.
- On occasion, can better manage his pad level on releases to avoid diverting upright.
- At times, can more proactively extend and reach past his frame for deep passes.
- With lacking mass and length, naturally isn’t going to be an elite contested-catch threat.
- Naturally lacks high-end contact balance and can be brought down by solo tackles.
- Lighter, less rangy frame limits his maximum utility as a run-blocking presence.
- May be a slightly older NFL rookie as a fifth-year senior.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Maclin grades out as a mid-Day 3 prospect, who could rise into the early Day 3 range with a strong final season at Kentucky.
Maclin adds to the depth of what appears to be an impressive 2025 WR class, and he does so with a relatively reliable skill set. Maclin is explosive, fast, and twitchy, and he weaponizes all of those traits with his superb route-running ability, nuance, and variability.
Across his career — and especially throughout his breakout 2023 season — Maclin has boasted a full route tree and an inspiring release package. And on top of his separation skills, he’s a fairly instinctive catcher with great control, reaction speed, and coordination.
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Maclin’s vertical speed, while exceptional, isn’t quite elite, and with his lighter frame and middling length, his viability is reduced as a contested threat. But Maclin has three-sided appeal as a separator, RAC producer, and vertical threat, and he’s competitive beyond his size.
At the NFL level, Maclin profiles as a strong WR3/4 who can take reps both in the boundary and out of the slot. He’d be productive at multiple levels with his all-encompassing separation ability, and the chip on his shoulder that he brings makes him even more valuable.
