Trevon Grimes, WR, Florida – NFL Draft Player Profile

The Florida Gators offense returned to prominence in 2020, and Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts, and Kadarius Toney weren’t the only benefactors. Florida wide receiver Trevon Grimes rekindled his NFL Draft aspirations with a strong senior season, and now, he’s starting to get more attention as a high-upside prospect.

Trevon Grimes NFL Draft Profile

• Position: Wide Receiver
• School: Florida
• Current Year: Senior
• Height: 6’3 7/8″
• Weight: 220 pounds
• Wingspan: 77″
• Arm: 31 3/8″
• Hand: 9 5/8″

Tony Pauline’s Trevon Grimes Scouting Report

Positives: Nice-sized receiver with good athleticism. Sturdy, snatches the ball away from his frame, and takes a big hit yet holds onto the throw. Possesses soft hands, uses his frame to protect the ball, and gives outstanding effort after the catch. Consistently comes away with the difficult catch and wins out for contested passes. Possesses solid eye/hand coordination. Effective blocker downfield who gives effort.

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Negatives: Really doesn’t play to his 40 time and plays to one speed. Must improve his route running. Has occasional lapses in concentration.

Analysis: Grimes flashed ability the past three years, yet never really elevated his game to the level many thought possible. He was a terrific red zone threat last season and comes with an upside, but he must quickly turn up the wick.

Trevon Grimes Player Profile

No matter what a prospect does in their football career, the five-star label sticks with them. It’s either confirmation of their success or a reminder of what they could have been. In Grimes’ short, tumultuous college career, that label has served both purposes.

Grimes was one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2017 recruiting class. Standing at 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, Grimes was already an athletic freak with a 4.47 40-yard dash time. His upside lent him lots of attention from the nation’s top college football program.

By the end of his recruiting process, Grimes had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, LSU, and Notre Dame, among others. He ultimately chose Ohio State as his initial destination, although that marriage wouldn’t last for long.

Trevon Grimes’ short stint at Ohio State

Grimes saw playing time for the Buckeyes as a true freshman but only played in two games, logging 20 yards on three receptions. After his true freshman season, he decided to transfer away from the program. Grimes saw little opportunity in the stacked receiving room at Columbus, and controversy surrounding wide receivers coach Zach Smith only strengthened his desire to play elsewhere.

For his transfer destination, Grimes decided to move closer to home. He returned to Florida and signed with the Gators. Now a safe driving distance away from his family, Grimes felt more at home. And soon, he’d get the opportunity he failed to find at Ohio State.

Trevon Grimes’ career as a Florida wide receiver

Grimes immediately took on a role as a rotational contributor at the wide receiver position. In 2018, he put up 26 receptions for 364 yards and two scores. Grimes ranked third on the team in receiving yards behind Van Jefferson and Josh Hammond, and it looked like he was primed to take another step in 2019. But inconsistent quarterback play lingered, and other receivers started to supersede him.

Grimes surpassed Hammond in 2019, amassing 33 catches for 491 yards and three touchdowns. However, his modest growth was overshadowed as players like Jefferson, Kyle Pitts, and Freddie Swain acquired more volume in the Florida passing attack.

Trevon Grimes’ improvement in 2020

Nevertheless, Grimes persisted, and he was rewarded in 2020. Grimes still maintained his role as an ancillary piece of the offense, but he enjoyed a 2020 breakout in his own way. Grimes’ production still paled in comparison to that of Pitts and fellow senior receiver Kadarius Toney. Yet, Grimes managed to log career-highs in every category, hauling in 38 catches for 589 yards and nine scores.

Grimes could have inherited a premier role on offense by staying for a graduate year in 2021. But instead, the Florida wide receiver declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. He announced his intentions to skip the Cotton Bowl on December 28, joining Pitts and Toney on the path to April.

What does Trevon Grimes bring as a 2021 NFL Draft prospect?

Trevon Grimes is an intriguing case study. His production was never more than average. However, he managed to carve out a specific niche in his senior season as a deep threat and a red zone specialist. Grimes scored a touchdown on almost 25% of his receptions, and he logged 15.5 yards per catch.

The stats shed light on Grimes’ best traits. He’s a spectacular athlete with late-4.4 speed, despite measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. He also has solid vertical athleticism, as he frequently displays downfield. Grimes also has the body control and ball tracking ability to capitalize on his athleticism, making him a dangerous player in the deep third.

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Grimes’ contested catch ability expands off of his fundamental traits. The Florida wide receiver has the bounce to high-point passes, the size to box defenders out, and the play strength to convert more often than not.

Grimes is a bit inconsistent through the catch process, and direct contact can dismantle his focus. Yet, he has the physical traits to be a scoring threat, both downfield and in close quarters.

What are the drawbacks with Grimes?

Grimes’ success as an explosive playmaker derives from his five-star upside. But his drawbacks allude to a perpetual lack of development that might carry over into the NFL.

While Grimes saw an uptick in production in 2020, several areas of his game remained lacking in their substance. Grimes is still a limited route runner. Additionally, while he shows flashes of the requisite suddenness and lateral burst to be a competent route runner, he’s not at all consistent in that regard.

On one play, Grimes can show uncanny fluidity and explosiveness out of a break, and on another, he can appear stiff and rigid, as large receivers often do. The flashes allude to untapped upside if Grimes can maximize his agility at the next level.

However, four years into his collegiate career, he’s still the same type of receiver as which he began. Thus, there is some concern over whether Grimes has reached his peak.

Trevon Grimes’ best fits in the 2021 NFL Draft

Grimes accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, but failed to consistently distinguish himself there. He did use his pro day to his advantage, however. He tested with an exceptional Relative Athletic Score of 8.57, putting up a 4.49 40-yard dash, a 35-inch vertical, and decent agility numbers.

By virtue of his athletic testing numbers, Grimes is an early-to-mid Day 3 pick who could potentially sneak into Day 2, if teams like him enough. For a 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver, he offers very good vertical explosiveness and long speed, and there’s a lot of developmental potential present.

Of course, no one disputes Grimes’ athleticism. He registered a maximum 5.0 Player Athletic Index grade out of high school. He was also a two-time state champion in the 300-meter hurdles. However, for all his explosiveness and proportional speed, Grimes isn’t a big run-after-catch threat, and his route tree is limited. After four years of consistent playing time, that stagnation bears weight.

Teams that Grimes can provide value to

Even if Grimes is maxed out as a role player, however, he still has appeal. He can be an Allen Lazard-type player who offers utility as a contested-catch specialist. But the Florida wide receiver needs to sharpen his route running and glean more suddenness on a play-by-play basis. Otherwise, he may remain a rotational threat.

On early Day 3, teams that need size and athleticism at wide receiver can gain the most from adding Grimes. There’s always a need for dynamic ability and developmental upside. That said, teams like the Buccaneers, Lions, Seahawks, Texans, and Chargers might benefit most from his downfield skill set.

Grimes’ best plays point to Day 2 potential, but he didn’t put it all together quickly enough to sell that idea entirely. That said, Grimes is an exciting prospect who offers initial utility in a specific role. He also boasts unrealized developmental potential in other areas. The five-star conundrum is alive and well, and nobody embodies it better than Grimes.

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