Pros and cons of Jacksonville Jaguars picking Ole Miss' Deantre Prince in 2024 NFL Draft

Deantre Prince from Ole Miss football is officially an NFL rookie after being picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Here's what Prince brings to Jacksonville, based on our own observations from his tenure at Ole Miss:

What Deantre Prince brings to Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 NFL Draft

Prince did not take the easy path at Ole Miss. After arriving as a freshman, he left for junior college for a season amid family tragedy and what he described as his own immaturity. A year at Northeast Mississippi Community College launched him back onto the Rebels' roster.

Since then, he's been a fixture in the Ole Miss secondary, starting at corner for the better part of three full seasons. And they've been three very consistent campaigns. Prince doesn't often flash, but he's reliable, has good hands, and brings a boatload of SEC experience.

Deantre Prince's highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Ole Miss football

The best play Prince made as a Rebel came in his second season at Ole Miss. With Vanderbilt in the red zone and looking to trim a late Ole Miss lead to one score, Prince leaped to intercept a pass thrown by Mike Wright. With the entirety of his torso out of bounds, Prince managed to tap his toe and secure the pick.

Like everyone Ole Miss sent to the combine this year, Prince tested well. He ran his 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and executed his 10-yard split in 1.47 seconds, which was the best time of any player in attendance.

A potential weakness of Prince's is in the run game, where he doesn't always succeed. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein noted a tendency to lose contain against the run as well. And, though he's effective at using his hands to break up passes when targeted, he hasn't exactly been a turnover magnet lately. He's got just two interceptions in the last two seasons.

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Deantre Prince 2023 stats at Ole Miss football

• 13 games
• 36 tackles
• 5 pass breakups
• 1 interception
• 1 forced fumble

Deantre Prince potential in NFL

NFL.com gave Prince a grade that indicates they expect him to be an average backup or special teams player at the NFL level. Prince's good-but-not-great college production would support that claim, though it will be interesting to see if his athleticism can help him become something more.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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