Drafted 160th overall in the 5th round of the 2015 draft, Jesse James arrived from Penn State. He last played in 2023 with LV, a career spanning 9 NFL seasons. By ScoutIndex Rating he was one of the top TEs in football last season, scoring a 71.8 (92nd percentile). Few match his size, which grades in the 93rd percentile. Across 7 NFL seasons, he has totaled 157 catches for 1,522 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Size
6'7", 261#
College
Penn State
Draft
Rd 5, 160th overall (2015)
Seasons
2015–2023
2016 ScoutIndex Rating · TE
Methodology9th percentile among TEs
16 games · 60 targets
2016 attribute card
click a row to see the formulagroup averages
Athleticism
Speed18▶
Percentile of 40-yard dash time among TEs at the NFL Combine (faster = higher), 2000–present.
Burst91▶
Percentile of vertical jump + broad jump among combine TEs.
Agility9▶
Percentile of 3-cone + short shuttle among combine TEs (faster = higher).
Size93▶
Height/weight z-score vs. the TE cohort (from official bio, not combine-dependent).
Receiving
Hands33▶
Catch rate — receptions ÷ targets.
Deep Threat18▶
Average depth of target — receiving air yards ÷ targets.
YAC Ability9▶
Yards after catch ÷ reception.
Role
Target Share60▶
Share of the team's targets while on the field, target-weighted across the season.
Air-Yards Share50▶
Share of the team's total air yards, target-weighted across the season.
Impact
Efficiency6▶
Receiving EPA ÷ target — the Rating's largest component.
Volume80▶
Total targets this season.
Career (regular season)
Career profile
Across 7 NFL seasons on file, Jesse James has played in 81 regular-season games, playing for 3 teams: PIT (2015–2018), DET (2019–2020), CHI (2021).
As a receiver he has caught 157 passes for 1,522 yards and 12 touchdowns. His most productive receiving season was 2018 with PIT: 423 yards and 2 touchdowns in 15 games.
By the ScoutIndex Rating, his best qualified season was 2018: a 71.8, in the 92nd percentile among TEs that year.
Career highs (regular season)
- Most receiving yards in a game138 on 5 catches, 1 TD vs KC, 2018 Week 2
2016 splits
regular season| Split | G | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 26 3.3/g | 261 33/g | 3 |
| Away | 8 | 13 1.6/g | 77 10/g | 0 |
| In division | 6 | 12 2.0/g | 112 19/g | 1 |
| Out of division | 10 | 27 2.7/g | 226 23/g | 2 |
| In wins | 11 | 27 2.5/g | 225 20/g | 3 |
| In losses | 5 | 12 2.4/g | 113 23/g | 0 |
| On grass | 13 | 38 2.9/g | 333 26/g | 3 |
| On turf | 3 | 1 0.3/g | 5 2/g | 0 |
| Indoors | 1 | 0 0.0/g | 0 0/g | 0 |
| Outdoors | 15 | 39 2.6/g | 338 23/g | 3 |
2016 game log
| Wk | Opp | Line | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postseason | MIA | 1 rec, 6 yds, 0 TD | — |
| Postseason | KC | 5 rec, 83 yds, 0 TD | — |
| Postseason | NE | 5 rec, 48 yds, 0 TD | — |
| Week 1 | WAS | 5 rec, 31 yds, 0 TD | 53.6 |
| Week 2 | CIN | 3 rec, 29 yds, 1 TD | 58.5 |
| Week 3 | PHI | 2 rec, 10 yds, 0 TD | 35.5 |
| Week 4 | KC | 2 rec, 15 yds, 1 TD | 61 |
| Week 5 | NYJ | 6 rec, 43 yds, 1 TD | 51.3 |
| Week 6 | MIA | 2 rec, 13 yds, 0 TD | 40 |
| Week 7 | NE | 2 rec, 18 yds, 0 TD | 51.9 |
| Week 9 | BAL | 2 rec, 13 yds, 0 TD | 24.1 |
| Week 10 | DAL | 4 rec, 59 yds, 0 TD | 65.8 |
| Week 11 | CLE | 1 rec, 5 yds, 0 TD | 29.3 |
| Week 12 | IND | — | 35.5 |
| Week 13 | NYG | 3 rec, 32 yds, 0 TD | 60.2 |
| Week 14 | BUF | 1 rec, 5 yds, 0 TD | 22.2 |
| Week 15 | CIN | — | 39.6 |
| Week 16 | BAL | 4 rec, 49 yds, 0 TD | 44.6 |
| Week 17 | CLE | 2 rec, 16 yds, 0 TD | 47.6 |
Jesse James — common questions
- What position does Jesse James play?
- Jesse James is listed as a TE.
- Which teams has Jesse James played for?
- In the seasons on file (1999 onward), Jesse James has played for PIT (2015–2018), DET (2019–2020), CHI (2021).
- Where did Jesse James go to college?
- Jesse James played college football at Penn State.
- When was Jesse James drafted?
- Jesse James was selected in round 5, 160th overall, of the 2015 NFL Draft.
- How many touchdowns has Jesse James scored?
- Jesse James has 12 touchdowns in the regular-season games on file (12 receiving).
- What is Jesse James's ScoutIndex Rating?
- Jesse James rated 48.8 for 2021, the 56th percentile among TEs (provisional or limited sample). Ratings run 0–99; about 60 is a league-average qualified starter.
Related players
Top teammates, last season on file
- Justin FieldsQB · 2021
- Andy DaltonQB · 2021
- David MontgomeryRB · 2021
- Darnell MooneyWR · 2021
- Cole KmetTE · 2021
- Khalil HerbertRB · 2021
- Allen RobinsonWR · 2021
- Damiere ByrdWR · 2021
Drafted in round 5, 2015
- Grady JarrettDT · pick 137
- David CobbRB · pick 138
- Rashad GreeneWR · pick 139
- Ben HeeneyLB · pick 140
- Martrell SpaightLB · pick 141
- Adrian AmosS · pick 142
- MyCole PruittTE · pick 143
- Mykkele ThompsonDB · pick 144
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- Drew AllarQB · 2026–2026
- Kaytron AllenRB · 2026–2026
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