TCU’s Jalen Reagor has been on the Dallas Cowboys’ radar since high school
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has known what type of game-changing player TCU’s Jalen Reagor has been for years.
Jones remembers Reagor’s highlight-reel play on a 73-yard touchdown run in high school when Waxahachie took on Highland Park in 2016. That’s one of the first things Jones mentioned when the Dallas Cowboys held a virtual interview with Reagor on Thursday.
“Boy, you took it to the house,” Jones said.
Those electric plays continued for Reagor during his college career at TCU. Nobody will soon forget his remarkable TD run on a jail-break screen at Baylor in 2018, or his 73-yard punt return for a TD against Kansas last season after dropping the ball.
With that being said, it’s no surprise to see Reagor on the Cowboys’ draft radar as teams are always seeking playmakers on offense. And Reagor fits that label as well as anyone.
Along with Jones, other notable Cowboys personnel on the call with Reagor included executive vice president Stephen Jones, vice president of player personnel Will McClay, head coach Mike McCarthy, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, special-teams coordinator John Fassel and area scout Sam Garza.
Fassel asked Reagor about a favorite return man growing up.
“Devin Hester,” Reagor said, “Because I watched him do it in the Super Bowl against my dad.”
Yes, Hester opened Super Bowl XLI with a 92-yard TD return on the opening kickoff for the Chicago Bears. Reagor’s dad, Montae, and the Indianapolis Colts ended up winning the game 29-17.
Speaking of his father’s influence, Jalen told the Cowboys’ brass: “If you plan on having a long career, you’ve got to do things the right way. My dad did things the right way. That’s why he played in the league for nine years. If you’re there for a long time, you’re doing something right.”
Reagor is viewed as a possible first-round talent and the Cowboys have the 17th overall pick. It’s unlikely Reagor would be available for the Cowboys when they pick in the second round (51st overall).
The Athletic’s draft analyst Dane Brugler has Reagor ranked as the seventh-best wide receiver in the class and the 44th overall prospect.
“Overall, Reagor must improve the details of his routes and consistency of his catch radius, but he shows the instant juice and explosive athleticism to separate at the NFL level, projecting as a high-ceiling starter with impact potential as a returner,” Brugler wrote.
At the end of the day, time will tell where Reagor falls when the draft is held later this month, April 23-25 (in a virtual format given the coronavirus pandemic). But there’s no question that he’s a home-run threat with the ball in his hands, and that is a coveted asset by teams these days.
Reagor closed his college career with 2,248 yards receiving, 22 TDs and 148 receptions, highlighted by a 1,000-yard season as a sophomore in 2018. Reagor also rushed for 324 yards and two TDs in his college career.
His 22 career receiving TD receptions are tied for second-most in TCU history, trailing only Josh Doctson (29).
Reagor led the team with 611 yards receiving and five touchdowns on 43 receptions in 2019. He was a standout returner, being named to three All-America teams after ranking second nationally with a punt-return average 20.8 yards.
