| No. 37, 26, 27, 20 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1991-11-27)November 27, 1991 (age 34) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Cape Coral (Cape Coral, Florida) | ||||||
| College | Florida | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2014: 4th round, 101st overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Jaylen Watkins (born November 27, 1991) is an American former professionalfootballsafety. He playedcollege football for theUniversity of Florida. He was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the2014 NFL draft.
A native ofCape Coral, Florida, Watkins attendedCape Coral High School. He playedquarterback,wide receiver anddefensive back at Cape Coral, leading his team to an 11–1 record in his senior season, advancing to theFHSAA 4A Regional semifinals. He passed for 1,230 yards and 13touchdowns as a senior andrushed for 928 yards with 10 touchdowns. He also had 29receptions for 461 yards and five touchdowns. He also rantrack at Cape Coral and advanced to the 4A Track Championships in the4 × 100 relay. He was selected to play in the2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl inSan Antonio, Texas.[1]
Considered a four-star recruit byRivals.com, he was rated as the fourth bestcornerback prospect in his class.[2]
Watkins attended theUniversity of Florida from 2010 to 2013. He appeared in 48 games, with 28 starts, at both cornerback andsafety. He primarily playedspecial teams as a freshman, before earning an increased role in the defense as a sophomore and throughout his tenure at Florida. During his career, he accumulated 133tackles, including four for loss, 21pass breakups and threeinterceptions.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+1⁄2 in (1.82 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.41 s | 1.50 s | 2.56 s | 4.50 s | 7.13 s | 31.5 in (0.80 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 22 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[3][4] | ||||||||||||
Watkins was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the fourth round (101st overall) of the2014 NFL draft.[5][6]
On September 5, 2015, Watkins was released by the Eagles.[7]
On September 7, 2015, Watkins was signed to thepractice squad of theBuffalo Bills and practiced with his brotherSammy Watkins.[8]
On November 27, 2015, Watkins was re-signed by the Eagles off the Bills' practice squad.[9]
On March 4, 2017, Watkins signed a one-year extension with the Eagles.[10] Watkins won aSuper Bowl ring when the Eagles defeated theNew England Patriots inSuper Bowl LII.[11]
On March 30, 2018, Watkins signed a one-year contract with theLos Angeles Chargers.[12] In the Chargers' second preseason game, Watkins suffered atorn ACL and was placed oninjured reserve on August 19, 2018.[13]
On February 15, 2019, Watkins re-signed with the Chargers.[14]
On March 30, 2020, Watkins signed a two-year contract with theHouston Texans.[15] He was released on September 5, 2020.[16]
On November 7, 2020, Watkins was signed to the Chargers' practice squad.[17] He was elevated to the active roster on November 21 and December 17 for the team's weeks 11 and 15 games against theNew York Jets andLas Vegas Raiders, and reverted to the practice squad after each game.[18][19] On January 1, 2021, Watkins was promoted to the active roster.[20]
Jaylen Was Named the Interim Coach at his Alma Mater after the resignation of the Previous head coachTyler Murphy[21]
He is the older half-brother ofwide receiverSammy Watkins.[22][23]