2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jalen Travis, Iowa State

Jalen Travis finished his college career on a high note with Iowa State after spending multiple years at Princeton, but how does his full NFL scouting report look?

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Overview, Film Analysis, And 2025 Scouting Report Of Iowa State OL Jalen Travis

Measurables:

• 6’8”
• 339 lbs

Player Background:

A First Team All-State player his senior year of high school, Jalen Travis committed to Princeton out of De La Salle. He was rated as a three-star recruit, a Top-200 offensive tackle prospect in the country, and a Top-15 player in Minnesota. His first collegiate season was canceled due to COVID-19 and the team didn’t play a single game. He played in nine games during the 2021 season, totaling 134 snaps and a 72.0 PFF grade.

He started throughout the 2022 campaign, posting a 67.4 PFF grade across 574 total offensive snaps. Travis missed all but six games in 2023 due to an injury, playing 390 total snaps. His PFF grade rose to 80.9 and he finished with a fantastic 86.4 pass blocking grade. He transferred to Iowa State before the 2024 season, starting 11 of 12 games and finishing the year with a 70.8 PFF grade.

Accolades:

• Second Team All-Ivy League (2022)
• Second Team All-Ivy League (2023)
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2024)

Strengths/Pros:

To put it simply, Travis is a massive being on the edge and naturally takes up an abundance of space. He knows how to spread his upper half out and put defenders in his shadow to impose his size and wingspan and keep them in check. His arms are incredibly strong, often successfully locking them out and driving through defenders. His legs are constantly moving, generating great downhill force through his size and functional physicality.

He flows with snaps at the beginning of plays and is rarely caught off guard initially. Travis has decent burst and speed when he gets going, and can get to spots quickly at the second level. His intelligence is also very noticeable in every aspect of the game. He’s disciplined when getting rotational into his base and moving laterally. He’s patient when rushers take longer to set up to contact against him and he doesn’t overset often. He recognizes defensive schemes quickly and can recover and counter other stunts and tricks with advanced bait moves.

Weaknesses/Cons:

Overall, Travis is a slower mover with a weaker kickstep on the outside. His transitions between kickstep and following movements is too choppy, and can get taken advantage of easily by quicker speed-to-power rushers. He gets caught leaning at points and bending at his waist, needing to sink into his hips more and use his length. He plays too high in his base and his feet can get crossed up at times, forcing him to overrotate.

Travis’ hand placement can be a bit rough and he tries to reset them too much. He gets a bit grabby when defenders move away from him, causing some penalty and/or off-balance issues. He needs to drive with his hands and arms more, letting defenders lean too much into his chest and use their momentum to close the pocket. His movement get overset at times when pulling before using his eyes, causing some off-balance setups and getting stuck in space.

Potential Team Fits:

• San Francisco 49ers
• Chicago Bears
• Miami Dolphins

NFL Projection:

It’s accurate to call Travis a developmental project at OT, but he has the advanced football knowledge and processing skills to shorten his track. His Princeton background is evident in his play, but there are still several areas that he needs to work on. He isn’t fast enough to project as a future impact player on the OL, but it’s a fair guess to predict a career as either a swing tackle or mid-to-low-end starter for teams needing a short-term solution at the position. His floor is solid because of his size and smarts, and should at least provide solid depth for a while.

Prospect Grade:

• 4th Round

Film Exposures:

• 2024 vs. Baylor
• 2024 vs. UCF
• 2024 vs. Utah