Jalen Farmer Draft Grade | Round 4, Pick 13 | FanVerdicts

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OG · Value Position

Decision Grade reflects market consensus at the moment of the pick. Teams often have private information the consensus does not.

Scouting Report

Big Board Rank: #114 · Day 3 Sleeper

Jalen Farmer developed into Kentucky's most reliable interior lineman over his four-year career, transitioning from a redshirt freshman reserve to a three-year starter at both center and guard. The Lexington native possesses exceptional football intelligence and pre-snap recognition, functioning as the Wildcats' line captain and primary communicator in their zone-heavy rushing attack. While lacking elite athleticism, Farmer compensates with technically sound fundamentals, consistent hand placement, and the versatility to play all three interior positions at an NFL level. His draft stock has steadily climbed due to impressive Senior Bowl week practices, though concerns about his ceiling against premier pass rushers keep him in the mid-round conversation.

Strengths

+Exceptional pre-snap recognition and line calls, serving as Kentucky's primary communicator and demonstrating advanced understanding of defensive fronts and stunts.

+Technically sound hand placement and punch timing, consistently landing strikes inside defenders' chest plates and maintaining proper leverage throughout blocks.

+High football IQ allows him to quickly identify and pick up delayed blitzes, twist stunts, and complex defensive line games in protection schemes.

+Versatile enough to play center, left guard, and right guard effectively, having started games at all three positions during his Kentucky career.

+Excellent anchor strength in pass protection, rarely getting driven backward into the pocket despite lacking elite size for the position.

+Consistent performer who rarely has mental errors or missed assignments, earning trust from coaches to handle complex protection calls.

+Effective in zone blocking schemes, showing good lateral movement and ability to climb to second level linebackers in combination blocks.

+Strong grip strength and hand fighting ability, difficult for pass rushers to disengage once he establishes contact and proper hand placement.

+Dependable snapper with clean exchanges when playing center, handling both shotgun and under-center snaps with consistency and timing.

+Competitive edge and nastiness in run blocking, finishing blocks through the whistle and looking to create additional movement at contact.

+Good body control and balance, rarely lunging or overextending on blocks which keeps him in proper position throughout the play.

+Proven leadership qualities as team captain, respected by teammates and coaches for work ethic and preparation habits.

Weaknesses

-Limited athletic ability shows up against quick-twitch pass rushers, struggling to mirror speed moves and lacking the foot quickness to handle elite interior rushers.

-Average arm length for the position can be problematic against longer defensive linemen who can create separation and attack outside his framework.

-Lacks elite power in run blocking to consistently move larger nose tackles and 3-4 defensive ends off the line of scrimmage in phone booth situations.

-Can struggle with initial quickness off the snap, sometimes late to reach blocks on outside zone concepts and struggling to cut off penetration.

-Limited experience in wide zone concepts and stretch plays, having primarily operated in gap and inside zone schemes at Kentucky.

-Occasional issues with pad level, rising up out of his stance when engaging with taller defensive linemen and losing leverage advantage.

-May lack ideal size and length for left guard in certain offensive systems that prioritize bigger, more powerful interior linemen.

-Limited upside due to having reached close to his physical ceiling, with improvement likely coming from scheme familiarity rather than athletic development.

NFL Comparison: Ryan Kelly

Fan voting will be available once grades are published.

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