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It took a little bit longer than he probably wanted, but former Penn State tight end Jesse James has finally been selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. James is headed home, as the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the fifth round with the 160th overall pick.
James was projected to go in the fourth round by CBS Sports and the fifth or sixth round by NFL.com. Unsurprisingly, scouts are enamored by James' size, strength and speed, and really like him as a pass catcher, but they think he needs to work a lot as a blocker and don't like how he has a nasty tendency to disappear during games. They also don't like how he doesn't separate from defenders very well. According to NFL.com, James compares favorable to Ravens tight end Phillip Supernaw, who I have never heard of. Supernaw has been in the league since 2012, and he has caught three balls for 30 yards. Lets hope James' pro career is a little better.
Fortunately, James knows what it's like to shatter low expectations. The Outlaw came to Penn State as a lowly-regarded three-star prospect in the class of 2012. He was the 644th best player in America, according to 24/7 Sports, was the 27th best tight end in the country and Pennsylvania's No. 18 player. Basically, nobody expected anything out of Jesse James.
Instead, James caught 78 passes for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns in his three years in Happy Valley. He made a ton of big plays -- who can forget his 41-yard touchdown grab from Matt McGloin in Penn State's 24-21 win over Wisconsin in 2012? -- and was a valuable part of the Nittany Lions' passing game. After three great years at Penn State, James decided to forego his final year of eligibility to declare for the draft.
Not only is Pittsburgh a great spot for James since it's his hometown, but he fell into an excellent position to possibly make an impact down the road. Longtime Steelers tight end Heath Miller is 32, and while he certainly can still get the job done for a few more years, James would be a great successor. Miller is a big, strong tight end who can mentor James, and while he may not play right away, it's not crazy to think that James can have an impact down the road for the Steelers.
Congrats, Jesse!