Wide Receiver Scouting Journal - Week 3
Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, I will be evaluating and grading over 50 wide receiver prospects. I’ll write scouting reports on 2-5 wide receiver prospects and organize them in a weekly journal.
Each scouting report will include background information, strengths, weaknesses and an overview of them as a prospect. The intent is to illustrate where they will be able to succeed on an NFL field, but some potential areas where they may struggle as they transition to the pro ranks.
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To Read the Week 1 Wide Receiver Scouting Journal on DeVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle, Click Here.
Week 2 featuring Rashod Bateman and Kadarius Toney, Click Here.
Elijah Moore, Ole Miss, 5-9 185
Background: A third-year junior, Elijah Moore hails from legendary high school program St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. He was named an Under Armor All-American in high school, and was productive as a true freshman on a loaded wide receiver depth chart that featured DK Metcalf and AJ Brown. His role increased as a true sophomore, but his season was overshadowed by a celebration penalty late in the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State that cost Ole Miss the game. Regardless, Moore continued to increase his production as the main target for the Rebels passing attack in 2020. Moore posted 86 receptions for 1,193 yards and 8 touchdowns in just 8 games on his way to 1st Team All-American honors. Moore declared for the 2021 NFL Draft after a college career that saw him take 1,566 snaps in the slot compared to just 147 snaps on the outside.
Strengths: Natural route runner who creates consistent separation. Encouraging burst in and out of his route breaks, with the speed to maintain space on horizontal routes. Understands how to change his stem in order to give him leverage at the first down marker or goalline. Flexible and explosive enough to dip around contact in his route stem and get vertical. Precise on double moves and especially light on his feet during “Sluggo” routes. Forces defensive backs to trigger on his initial move. Does a great job of making himself available during his route running, settling into zone windows when necessary or re-tracing with the quarterback scramble. Productive in and out of structure. Consistent hands (just 2 drops in 2020 according to PFF), and capable of plucking the ball out of the air or picking it off his shoelaces. Feel for incoming defenders at the catchpoint. Understands when he’s about to take a shot and needs to make a possession grab, or when he has time to make a move after the catch. Showed the necessary speed to beat angles in the open field. Quick feet and a low center of gravity in tight spaces, can rip through tackles on occasion. Has excellence field vision for his blockers or extra space, easy cuts into running lanes. Elusiveness on schemed touches is a plus. Understands when the play is coming his way and will work to cut-off defenders and attempt to stay engaged on his blocks. Quick and scrappy enough to at least remain in position.
Weaknesses: Usage on the outside of the formation increased throughout college, but still noticeably inexperienced against press coverage. Questions about his strength to handle contact in his route stems or against tight coverage. Catch radius will be a concern due to his lack of length. Skill-set suggests he’ll translate into a full route tree, but Ole Miss used him almost exclusively on motions, screens, hitch routes and free access slants. Lack of size and strength limit his ceiling as a blocker.
Overview: Elijah Moore projects as a natural slot receiver in the NFL, with the potential for limited reps in the backfield or on the outside of the formation. Moore has the traits to be a reliable and consistent chain-mover in the NFL, but has the added quality of being a three-level route runner. His ability after the catch is an additional advantage, as he can turn standard routes into chunk plays. He projects as the ideal, high-quality #2 target for an NFL team, with the floor to slide into that role at some point during his rookie season. With that upside, expect him to be considered early on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
Player Comparison: Deion Branch
Round Grade: 2nd Round
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State, 5-11 193
Background: A fourth-year senior, Tylan Wallace ranks in the top 15 in receiving yards in Texas high school football history. As a high school senior, he was named as an Under Armor All-American. On top of his football success, he was 8th in the United States in the triple jump as with a mark of 49-11.25. He appeared in limited snaps as a freshman, mostly due to a wide receiver depth chart that included three future NFL receivers. He burst onto the scene as a sophomore, finishing as a 1st Team All-American and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Unfortunately, a torn ACL limited him to 9 games as a junior and influenced his decision to return to school. Mostly back to his former self, Wallace posted 922 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 9 games as a senior in 2020. Over the past 3 seasons (32 games), Wallace has produced 198 receptions, 3,316 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’s taken nearly 1,900 snaps as an outside receiver and just 227 snaps in the slot.
Strengths: Vertical-based receiver whose presence will stretch the defense. Speed release against press can burn most cornerbacks. Has proper ball skills down the field, and understands how to use his body positioning to protect the catchpoint. Strong when he has to high-point, and tough enough to finish when he has to extend overhead and expose his body. Makes acrobatic, late adjustments to the football. Was given a lot of opportunities to showcase his body control and ball skills both down the field and along the sideline in his college career, finishing with 43 contested receptions over the past three seasons (PFF). Efficient when asked to snap down his routes, transferring his weight at the break and creating separation. Won’t waste any steps getting into a curl or comeback, and uses his hands to create additional space when necessary. Technically sound receiver as far as his upper body is concerned; keeps his pads level and disciplined with his eyes. Showed that he can win on inside releases without much separation, can be physical on slant routes. Started to look more comfortable taking slot reps at the Senior Bowl, creating separation on crossers and maintaining it through the rep. Effective blocker who will clear space for the ball carrier. Effort is high and his technique is sound, and he will de-cleat defenders on crack blocks.
Weaknesses: Wallace is over-reliant on his speed releases on the outside of the formation, and needs to develop additional counters at the line of scrimmage. Too often he will get ridden out of his route stem. Gets compressed towards the sideline, completely washed away by more physical cornerbacks. Will take away his own real estate at times. While he is a developed vertical-based route runner, the rest of his route tree needs to develop. There will be an occasional toe drag out of his horizontal breaks that can limit explosiveness. Strength, agility and elusiveness doesn’t match his size, which makes him just a mediocre weapon after the catch. Basically his entire career has been played as the outside receiver on the right of the offense, which could cause some early growing pains as he develops from other alignments.
Overview: Tylan Wallace projects as a starting “Z” receiver in the NFL who will be an effective field stretcher, but will take time to develop into more than that. His performance at the Senior Bowl suggested that he could transition to more slot based reps, but it remains to be seen if he can be an effective chain-mover from that role. Either way, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where Wallace doesn’t carve out a starting position due to his vertical route running, ability to win whenever contested and years of productive play in college.
Player Comparison: Markus Wheaton
Round Grade: 3rd Round
Dyami Brown, North Carolina, 6-1 195
Background: A third-year junior, Dyami Brown was a four-star recruit who decided to stay home and attend North Carolina, passing on an offer from Alabama. He made an impact as a freshman, appearing in 10 games while starting six of them. Brown’s production really took off as a sophomore when UNC brought in quarterback Sam Howell. Over the past two seasons, he’s posted 106 receptions for 2,133 yards and 20 touchdowns, good for a whopping 20.1 yards per reception. Remarkably, Brown has cooked a talented Virginia secondary for 442 yards and 6 touchdowns over their past two meetings. He was named 1st Team All-ACC as a junior, and declared early for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Strengths: Developed vertical based route runner who will stretch the field for an NFL offense. Fights to stack cornerbacks once he clears their pads, while adding subtle moves during his stem to get cornerbacks on their heels. Multiple in his release set with quick feet at the line of scrimmage. Efficient in how he gains ground into the defensive back, and is a strong lateral athlete. Impressive tracking of the deep ball, and works the boundary well even when tightly covered. Potential on intermediate routes, as he can be a blur through his route breaks in order to separate. Good timing in his route, and will aggressively attack the football downhill. Natural feel for zone windows, either on crossers or finding an opening on curl routes. Immediately transitions into a ball carrier as he accelerates through the catch. Will drop his center of gravity which improves his contact balance and elusiveness in tight spaces. Willing and effective blocker, especially down the field. High effort and constant knee drive into defenders will spring explosive runs. Loose, flexible athlete with quality deep speed.
Weaknesses: Ran a limited route tree at North Carolina, and can be unsure how to work around contact at times. Leaves a bit to be desired in how he handles contested situations, as the ball can get dislodged even after it’s landed in his hands. Needs to improve in how he tucks the football into his body, as these struggles can persist at all three levels. Occasional lapses in concentrations lead to drops or bobbles on elementary passes. While he wasn’t given many chances to showcase it, Brown doesn’t make many defenders miss in space - which is the more valuable YAC trait for wide receivers. While he’s constantly working hard as a blocker, he’ll lunge into the defenders which results in him failing to remain engaged at times. Nearly all of his reps came from the outside on the left of the offense, which could lead to a transition early in his NFL career.
Overview: Dyami Brown projects as a starting “Z” receiver in the NFL, who has the potential to develop into a three-level weapon. He’ll be entering the league as a true junior with consecutive seasons of production in the ACC. His traits against press coverage, tracking and straight-line speed suggest that he’ll be more than enough of a downfield threat in order to open the short-to-intermediate levels of the field. With that potential, he should fit as a WR2 or quality #3 option.
Player Comparison: Lee Evans
Round Grade: Mid-Day 2 (Late 2nd to Early 3rd Round)