Joseph's Gems: Wake Forest's Roberson offers Sneaky Upside

We are less than 10 days away from the NFL Draft, and you better believe NFL Scouting Departments are digging deep on every prospect to find their franchise’s next star.

I’m a bit of a “prospector” myself, so I bring to you Part Two of “Joseph’s Gems”; a series featuring the lesser discussed prospects that could turn into the next batch of NFL All-Pros.

 

But first, let’s recap, what constitutes a Gem?

Size – Adequate height and weight for the position (Within my own parameters, more on that later)

RAS – Must be able to compete at the NFL Level

Production – Gotta be a stat sheet stuffer. 

Competition – Power 5 vs Group of 5 vs FCS and below, it matters. 

 

Gems have to check at least 3 out of 4 of those boxes. If a player checks all 4, consider him SOLID GOLD as Certified by your favorite “GMologist” (Get it?) 

 

Today’s Gem is Demon Deacon’s Wide Receiver Jaquarii Roberson.

 

 

Jaquarii Roberson, a 4th-year Junior, had one of the best seasons in Wake Forest history as a Wide Receiver. Roberson caught 71 passes for 1,078 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 15.2 yards per reception. It was the second straight year Roberson had at least 60 catches, 850 yards, and 8 touchdowns. For his exploits, Roberson received an invite to the East-West Shrine Game.

Roberson presents himself as a smooth route-runner who can get shifty in the open field. He has natural hands and with his basketball background from high school excels at plucking the ball at the proper catch point. While he’s “quicker than fast”, Roberson has no problem creating ways to get open and has a knack for finding his way back to the Quarterback when the play breaks down. 

 

SIZE – Roberson checks in at an adequate 6’1, but a less than desired 182 lbs. I’m not quite sure if he can put much more on his frame, and you might not necessarily want him to either based on coaching philosophy. However, Roberson’s slight frame has shown to have trouble with more physical defensive backs. His release ability has compensated for this shortcoming so far, but it may be an issue at the next level. That being said, I’d like to see what an NFL offseason conditioning program might do for his physicality. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t give me Rondale Moore, KJ Hamler, or Tutu Atwell vibes; but if he could put on a little more muscle, it could allow him to be viewed as more than just a slot receiver.

 

 

 

 

RAS – 

 

 

Jaquarii Roberson posted an excellent RAS of 9.02. Besides an empty bench score and his weight, which I alluded to above, he posts sufficient measurements in every category. His best scores highlight who he is as a wide receiver, a player with better than good twitch with a great leaping ability for 50/50 balls.

 

 

 

 

PRODUCTION – Roberson didn’t start to take a role in the Wake Forest offense until his sophomore year, but he earned the starting role his first Junior year. In 2 seasons, Jaquarii posted almost 2,000 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged 15 yards a catch in those two seasons and had 10 receptions of 40 yards or more. Roberson proved he has a knack for making the big play in addition to being a quarterback’s best friend with 15 games where he had 5 or more catches.

 

 

 

COMPETITION – Roberson really shines in this category, as he stood out amongst his peers in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He’s posted 100+ yard games against North Carolina, Wisconsin, Syracuse, Virginia, and Louisville….with a couple of near misses against Clemson. 

 

 

 

 

ANALYSIS – Jaquarii Roberson projects as a prototypical starting slot wide receiver in the NFL. If he can answer the questions about his physicality, he could be interchangeable on the outside as well. No tape on him for special teams, but I believe there could be some ability there with adequate coaching. His natural pass catching skills, release ability, and plus route running skills should enable him to earn the trust of quarterbacks early on in his career. I still believe he needs some time in the weight room to truly take advantage of NFL defensive backs but I don’t think it’s beyond his capabilities to do so. 

 

Size? Nah.

RAS? Check.

Production? Check.

Competition? Check.

 

I’m certifying Demon Deacons wideout Jaquarii Roberson as a REAL GEM in the 5th Round or later who projects as a future starting slot receiver in the NFL. Stay tuned with myself, CHTV, and Packers fans around the world as we anxiously await the start of the 2022 NFL Draft Thusday, April 28th on NFL Network.