Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton finished his collegiate career as one of the year’s most prolific pass catchers. He finished with 96 receptions, trailing only San Diego State’s Nick Nash in that arena. But what do Felton’s NFL Draft prospects look like in his scouting report?
Tai Felton Profile and Measurements
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 186 pounds
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Maryland
Current Year: Senior
Tai Felton Scouting Report
Strengths
- Smooth, effortless, and flexible operator
- Eye-catching acceleration and long speed
- Shimmy shake post-catch to shake arm tackles
- Conspicuous threat as a formation crosser
- Downfield speed creates panic for carrying corners
- Patient but decisive with ball in hand
- Excellent natural hip skink, particularly for a leggy receiver
- Loose hips allow him to carry high speeds on sharper route breaks
- Absolute target hog in Marland’s offense (143 targets)
- Flashes of vision and creativity after the catch
Weaknesses
- Wiry frame lacking play strength to impress as a blocker
- Underdeveloped hands at LOS to beat press
- Consistently caught in the catch-and-carry area by off defenders
- Must improve secondary release strategy
- Can carry too much speed while trying to step on toes and come into route breaks out of control
- Unable to break solid contact with ball in hand
- Struggles to finish in contested situations
Summary and Draft Projection
Felton is what people talked themselves into believing Troy Franklin was. Both players were long and lean speedsters who commanded a lot of attention in their respective offenses. They each provided a consistent downfield threat while operating in the manufactured touch game with some surprising effectiveness.
The main difference between the two is the way they move.
Felton’s hips and ankles are properly lubricated, whereas Franklin’s transitions feel forced through natural tightness. Felton should immediately insert as a team’s third option as a “Z” who can slide down into the slot and threaten safeties vertically to open middle-of-field windows.
Felton’s straight-line and bent-angle speed also makes him a dangerous weapon on cross-field routes from free releases. If he’s able to gain some play strength or improve his hands at the line of scrimmage, Felton possesses the ability to be a strong second option in a passing attack.
However, the Terrapins’ receiver must also become more consistent on harder and multi-layered transitions. As a route runner, he must adopt better throttle control and improve his brakes to consistently get in and out of sharper cuts. Felton also needs to become a bit more manipulative overall to upend opposing defensive backs’ leverage.
Maryland’s star wide receiver doesn’t have the NFL Draft gravity surrounding him that he deserves. Although he might be one of the 10 best receivers in the class, there’s a chance he slips into the Day 3 range. However, that provides a team with a valuable developmental piece that immediately makes an impact on the field, even if only as a decoy.