Over the following few months, we’ll be breaking down all undrafted free brokers signed by the Jets. We proceed at present with a take a look at large receiver Caullin Lacy.
The 24-year previous Lacy is listed at 5’9” and 183 kilos and was undrafted out of Louisville. He was a third-team all Solar Belt convention receiver in 2023 after placing collectively a 1,300-yard season at South Alabama after which, having transferred to Louisville, was an honorable point out all-ACC large receiver and third-team return specialist in 2025.
Lacy was a three-star highschool recruit having been a operating again, however headed to South Alabama as a large receiver in 2020.
In his freshman season, Lacy’s major function was on jet sweeps as he caught simply 11 passes and ended the season with 210 yards on 31 touches.
His function expanded in 2021 and he caught 41 passes, accounting for 315 yards from scrimmage. He additionally bought into the tip zone for the primary time on a two-point conversion.
2022 noticed Lacy take one other step ahead as he caught 64 passes for over 800 yards and 6 touchdowns, including a punt return rating. He then broke out in an enormous means in 2023 as he had 91 catches for over 1,300 yards with seven touchdowns. He was fifth within the nation in receiving yards.
Lacy would then enter the switch portal and headed to Louisville however he had a preseason harm and ultimately opted to redshirt after returning in the course of the season and making 4 appearances. He had 39 yards and two scores on 10 touches and likewise had a kickoff return landing.
In 2025, Lacy stepped up with 60 catches for 635 yards and two scores to earn an all-ACC honorable point out. He additionally led the ACC in punt return common, with two touchdowns, to earn third-team recognition as a return specialist.
Regardless of going to the senior bowl and scouting mix, Lacy was not drafted in April.
The Jets signed Lacy to an undrafted free agent contract that included over $250K in ensures. This was notable as a result of each different Jets undrafted rookie signed this yr mixed for simply $61K of ensures between them.
Let’s transfer onto some extra in-depth evaluation of what Lacy brings to the desk, primarily based on in-depth analysis and movie research.
Lacy is brief and doesn’t have an enormous catch radius, though his fingers are comparatively huge.
His burst and acceleration, alongside together with his change of route skills, are evident from his recreation movie however he posted a disappointing assortment of numbers in the course of the pre-draft course of.
He ran a 4.55 on the mix with a 33.5-inch vertical and a 116-inch broad bounce, whereas not doing a bench press or agility drills.
The truth that Lacy did the 40 once more at his professional day however didn’t enhance on his time most likely damage his probabilities of being drafted.
As you’d count on for a smaller receiver, Lacy has primarily performed within the slot throughout his profession and would little doubt be anticipated to do the identical on the NFL degree.
He’s additionally been somebody that’s put in movement loads and is an efficient jet sweep/gadget play choice. He additionally took handoffs within the backfield and direct wildcat snaps at occasions.
As famous, Lacy was a operating again in highschool. He additionally threw a landing cross on a trick play in faculty.
Lacy has had occasional success on downfield throws. He clearly has the burst to get behind the protection, particularly if there may be misdirection or a blown protection concerned.
He doesn’t appear to excel at monitoring and finding deep throws, or adjusting to the ball, although.
Lacy had a formidable 77 p.c catch fee throughout his faculty profession, though that’s tempered by the truth that 40 p.c of his catches had been behind the road of scrimmage. He had made some spotlight reel grabs at occasions, although.
He by no means had greater than 5 dropped passes in any season throughout his faculty profession.
Contemplating he has good burst and acceleration, and has displayed good change of route skills, you may count on Lacy to be notably efficient as a route runner.
Nevertheless, he isn’t as sharp or constant as you’d count on to see at occasions. This can be a by-product of enjoying at a degree the place he didn’t want to concentrate to those particulars to get himself open and hopefully he can enhance on this on the NFL degree. Plenty of his greatest success appeared to come back on flats and crossers.
He did present some spectacular indicators of route operating means throughout Senior Bowl practices, suggesting he was responding effectively to the professional coaches.
Lacy had 17 offensive touchdowns throughout his faculty profession however wasn’t actually a lot of a crimson zone risk. In his breakout 2023 season, 5 of his seven touchdowns had been longer than 30 yards.
He’s clearly not a fade or bounce ball risk due to his dimension however might nonetheless be a weapon getting open in tight areas or on jet sweeps down close to the objective line.
Lacy shows thrilling elusiveness after the catch with the flexibility to show a brief cross into an extended play.
He demonstrates a very good consciousness of and nostril for the tip zone and the line-to-gain with the ball in his fingers.
Within the center two seasons of his profession, Lacy had over 500 yards on performs the place he caught the ball behind the road of scrimmage, averaging almost 10 yards per catch on these.
He had two fumbles on offense in his faculty profession.
Lacy doesn’t make a lot of an influence as a blocker, which is hardly shocking given his lack of dimension. His grades on evaluation website Professional Soccer Focus have usually been under common and the overall sample was that his groups ran away from him, used him as a decoy or took him out of the sport altogether in apparent run conditions.
When he’s required to dam, his approach and energy don’t make him very efficient however he does present hustle and want to get downfield and make an influence.
Lacy will battle for yardage with tenaciousness however his lack of dimension can result in him being simple to re-route on passing performs and makes him inefficient as a contested catch choice.
With that mentioned, he has proven that he can hold onto the ball when he takes an enormous hit over the center.
Lacy was a superb return man in faculty, averaging 24.4 yards per kickoff return and 10.9 per punt return with 4 complete return touchdowns. These numbers had been boosted by his 2025 season during which he had two punt return touchdowns and led the ACC with an 18.2 yards per return common.
He additionally muffed 5 punts and one kickoff throughout his faculty profession.
Instincts and Intelligence
Lacy shows wonderful open area imaginative and prescient, together with his expertise as a operating again in highschool little doubt aiding him in that space. He additionally has developed a knack for locating the mushy spot in zone coverages.
Right here’s a very good instance of Lacy’s consciousness being at a excessive degree, as he realizes the low punt could have hit his teammate which might represent a muff. He hustled to make the restoration and, though it turned out that it didn’t matter as a result of the ball hit an opposing participant first, it was spectacular to see him react quicker than anybody else to the hazard.
Lacy is a participant with a very good work ethic and aggressive toughness. There was a minor backlash when he opted to redshirt the 2024 season however that was most likely as a result of Louisville followers thought he may switch once more or enter the draft, whereas he truly returned to play for them in 2025.
On-field self-discipline has not been a problem as he had simply seven penalties in six years with by no means greater than two in anybody season.
Lacy’s 2024 season was mainly ruined by a damaged collarbone in preseason. He returned in the course of the season and performed 4 occasions, however his eventual determination to redshirt suggests he could have come again too quickly. He in any other case hasn’t been affected by accidents.
Lacy’s greatest hope of constructing the Jets’ roster, or a minimum of remaining of their plans, is to make an influence as a return man. If he does, then alternatives to contribute within the slot could observe.
His competitors for this function would come with the 2025 Jets MVP Isaiah Williams and final yr’s preseason favourite Jamaal Pritchett, who was truly a teammate of Lacy’s at South Alabama.
Lacy is the newest in a collection of latest undersized return specialist who has dynamic movie however disappointing exercise numbers. A lot of these have been success tales within the NFL and Lacy will hope to take pleasure in the identical success.
It must be thought to be vital that the Jets assured $247,500 of Lacy’s wage and gave him a $15K signing bonus. That’s not an outlandish sum given what they’ve paid to undrafted rookies in recent times, however it’s notable this time as a result of no different undrafted rookie bought $25K, not to mention $250K.
This variation in coverage for the Jets signifies that they most likely don’t anticipate having as a lot room for undrafted rookies to make the workforce or follow squad as up to now however the ensures paid to Lacy recommend that he’s one who is clearly of their plans.
Except he blows away the competitors for a return function throughout preseason, or earns a task by default attributable to harm, you may most likely count on Lacy to spend many of the yr on the follow squad ready for his shot.
