A former track star who has the speed to scare defenses, Cincinnati wide receiver Tyler Scott will look to bring his deep ball skills to the next level as he enters the 2023 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Bearcats’ speedster:
Vitals
Height: 5-10
Weight: 177
Class:
40 Time: 4.44
Strengths
A true threat to take it to the house on any given play, Tyler Scott had a career year last season with the Bearcats, proving to be a top deep threat and general weapon. He was able to haul in 54 passes, for 899 yards, and nine touchdowns. Scott was the top receiver for Cincinnati last season, and projects well into the NFL with what he has shown over his last two seasons.
Scott was a former top-level track star, and that clearly shows in his tape. He brings an excellent ability of taking the top completely off the defense. If he is left unaccounted for, Scott can absolutely blow past an indecisive safety in an instant; his second gear happens quite fast. He is able to track the deep ball well and has good not great ball skills, but can win on contested catch situations. When Scott finds the deep ball, he is able to accelerate through the catch and remain in motion, not losing any room given to him by a defensive back.
As a former running back, Scott possesses a natural run-after-catch ability, combined with his more compact frame, it makes him a nightmare to get on the ground if he is left any wiggle room. There is going to be a lot of creativity wandering in the mind of offensive coordinators that watch him, as he is a true dual threat at the position, just someone you want to get the ball to. His ability to take the top off forces corners to respect his speed, but can also give him the cushion he needs to expose defensive backs in the screen game.
Weaknesses
Scott is still learning the finer points of playing receiver, and needs some development in the little things that makes the difference between good and great receivers. He needs to clean up his route running as well as expand upon his route tree, as it was a bit limited during his time at Cincinnati. He will also need to improve upon his hand strength, as he had a number of drops over the year, and can get blown up on contested catches.
There are times when Scott can be swallowed up by bigger corners who can bully him off the line without losing him. He will need to improve on using his natural shiftiness to work open. Teams can always scheme him open should this prove to be a problem, but it would help if he can succeed on it on his own.
Projection
Tyler Scott is a dynamic playmaker who can hurt a defense in a variety of ways, from the deep ball, to underneath as a gadget player, he is going to be handed a lot of opportunities early by his offensive coordinator. Scott will be a factor right away in how a defense will play him, avoiding playing up on him given how quickly can get to the second level. He will need to improve his fundamentals and up his play strength to allow him to be a more rounded receiver. Teams will be eager to get Scott on the field, and draw up a number of ways for him to burn opposing defensive backs.
Projection: Late 2nd Round
