One of the more interesting developments of the last several years is the way in which teams are learning how to use hybrid defenders. More and more, we’re seeing teams use players who used to be dismissed as “tweeners” to great effect to counter modern offensive concepts.
This year, South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore is looking to follow in former teammate Nick Emmanwori’s footsteps.
Kilgore doesn’t quite have Emmanwori’s unique blend of size and athleticism, however he’s versatile enough to be a Swiss army knife for the Gamecock’s secondary. Could the New York Giants add Kilgore to their new Ravens’ flavored defense?
Prospect: Jalon Kilgore (24)
Games Watched: vs. Vanderbilt (2025), vs. LSU (2025), vs. Alabama (2025), vs. Texas A&M (2025)
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Height: 6-foot 7/8
Weight: 211
Arm length: 33 1/4 inches
Hand size: 9 1/4 inches
Strengths
Best traits
- Versatility
- Size and length
- Overall athleticism
- Ball skills
- Run defense
Jalon Kilgore is a highly versatile defender with an intriguing blend of size, athleticism, and play strength.
Kilgore played a wide variety of roles for the Gamecocks, lining up as a free and strong safety, slot corner, and WILL linebacker. He most frequently aligned as a “SPUR” (what South Carolina calls their safety/linebacker hybrid position) or slot corner in the tape viewed. He has the athleticism to pick up most receiving options in zone coverage, as well as the size to be an effective run defender in the box.
He is a very smooth mover in space, with quick feet for his size, as well as enough speed to have good range or run down the field with most receiving options. His height and long arms give him an impressive catch-denial radius, and he also flashes an impressive closing burst to recover and disrupt the catch if initially beaten. He doesn’t generate many turnovers, however he did come up with 10 passes defensed in 2025.
Kilgore appears to have a high football IQ, which both enables his versatile usage in the South Carolina defense and shows itself in how he works with his teammates. Kilgore is an active communicator before and after the snap, and shows great awareness of the play. He typically diagnoses accurately and is rarely fooled by playfakes. Likewise, he’s disciplined in executing his responsibilities and maintains the structure of the defense. He does a great job of keeping his eyes in the backfield when in zone coverage, as well as executing post-snap coverage rotations.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Man coverage
- Aggressiveness downhill
Kilgore is a remarkably versatile defender, however that also comes with limitations in any specific traditional role.
He isn’t quite big or strong enough to take on offensive line blocks like a traditional linebacker. Likewise, he isn’t quite quick or agile enough to play tight coverage on athletic receiving options in space like a pure defensive back. He can be prone to giving up separation when trying to stay in phase on sharply breaking routes with agile pass catchers, and he can also be juked by quicker ball carriers.
Kilgore’s discipline can also get the better of him at times. There are instances in each game viewed where he stayed in coverage a little too long instead of triggering downhill aggressively. He seemed to have a bit too much faith in his teammates that they could make the play and he would stay in position to clean up, as opposed to aggressively coming downhill to make the play himself. Likewise, he could also stand to come downhill with violence more regularly. Kilgore is capable of laying big hits and blowing plays up, but didn’t do so quite as consistently as expected.
Game Tape
(Kilgore is the South Carolina DB/LB wearing number 24, with white socks, short white sleeves, and a band on his right forearm)
Projection
Jalon Kilgore projects as a high-snap nickel defender at the NFL level. Whether that equates to “starter” snaps will likely depend on the defense into which he’s drafted.
His exact draft stock could vary hugely depending on the team evaluating him. Kilgore could be viewed as highly as a second round pick by teams that make use of a “STAR” hybrid position and would have a plan for how to use him. Teams that would view him as more of a “tweener” (and view that term as more of a pejorative) would view him as a day 3 pick, simply because they wouldn’t know how to use him.
Kilgore may not be quite in the same mold as Emmanwori, Kyle Hamilton, or Derwin James, however he could be a similar player to Kyle Dugger or Jeremy Chinn for a team that knows how to use a versatile hybrid.
Does he fit the Giants? Potentially, depending on scheme
Final Word: A late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick
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