Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint improvement impresses NFL expert
Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was among the 11 Bulldogs invited to the NFL Combine this week, and it continues a draft process that’s seen him rise up the rankings. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. went as far as to highlight him first when naming sleepers on the First Draft podcast alongside Field Yates.
“I like guys with length, catch radius, guys who go get the ball — when you think they’re covered, they’re not. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint from Georgia is a kid, you know, 6’1, about 205, in that area, but the length, arm length, is very important because he gets that edge over those cornerbacks when there’s a contested situation,” Kiper said. “I like guys who have improved. Remember, he came out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, right. He had that bad ankle injury against Florida back in 2020. 2022, he averages 11.6 (yards) a catch. He upgrades that, improves that, to 15, 16 yards a catch this past year with four touchdowns.”
“The big play ability, the catches he made in traffic, go back to games against South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee, he was outstanding. The length, hands, catch radius, the tough catches in traffic across the middle of the field is what really caught my eye; the consistency as well,” he continued.
Kiper absolutely is right that Rosemy-Jacksaint improved year over year during his Georgia career. After suffering a gruesome ankle injury as a freshman, he bounced back to find a role during his sophomore season. In doing so, he helped the Bulldogs to their first national championship in over four decades. Among his impacts that season, providing a presence as a blocker – including on the touchdown that put Georgia ahead by eight over Alabama in the title game.
The trend continued for Rosemy-Jacksaint in 2022 and 2023. With the help of new wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, he finished top-5 on the team in receiving both years. He had 29 receptions for 337 yards and two touchdowns, topping his combined catch total of the previous two seasons by mid-October. Then, in 2023, he set new career-highs with 34 grabs, 535 yards and four scores including a career-day against Tennessee (seven receptions, 91 yards, two touchdowns). His 91 yards was only topped by 94 and 99 earlier in the season against UAB and Kentucky respectively.
According to Kiper, that continued improvement is something he looks for in prospects, and something that bodes well for Rosemy-Jacksaint in his eyes.
“I think this is a guy that’s gonna keep getting better and better,” Kiper said. “We saw that improvement. I liked what I saw going from 2022 to 2023 and going up in terms of average per catch, being a guy who would go into that traffic and make those catches other guys kind of shy away from. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint did not.”
“I think his best football is yet to come, and I think, when you’re 6’1, 205 and have those long arms, wingspan, that length, I think that’s going to be critical against cornerbacks in the National Football League,” he continued. “So Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint I think is going to be interesting, whether it’s early day three or late day two, in that area. I like this kid a lot.”
Rosemy-Jacksaint got his first opportunity to showcase his skills for NFL scouts in the pre-draft process at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. There he caught the only touchdown of the game for his team. He’ll have another chance when he arrives in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine later this month. Workouts for wide receivers are set for Saturday, March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium, part of the event that airs on NFL Network throughout that week.
