It’s silly season in the NFL, folks. There’s no doubt about that – new information is dumped on us daily and old information is updated constantly as we inch towards the 2023 NFL Draft. Teams are throwing up smokescreens, trying to lose their scent, and otherwise mask who they could and could not potentially be interested in. It’s all a guessing game as we incessantly take note of who met with who at the Scouting Combine and which coaches and GMs showed up for various pro days. But, when it comes to the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Tyler Scott, there’s an awful lot of smoke for there not to be a fire.
Justin Melo was all over it, as usual, sharing that he’d learned of a dinner between Mike Vrabel, Tim Kelly, coaching staffers, and Scott the night before Cincinnati’s Pro Day, adding that it went really well. He later learned that the Titans would use one of only three virtual meetings they get with prospects to set up a meeting between Titans wide receivers coach Rob Moore and Scott. Over the weekend, Zach Lyons added some valuable information to the Twittersphere on this topic as well.
I just collected data for WRs drafted by the Rams, 49ers when Carthon was there, & from every WR drafted in the #Titans JRob era
— Football & Other F Words (@FWordsPod) April 2, 2023
Only one WR in the #NFLDraft meets/exceeds the average data points for these categories:
– College Dominator Rating
– Y/R
– Target Share %
Guess⤵️
Take a wild guess who that one wide receiver in this year’s draft class is. That’s right – Tyler Scott. So, it damn sure seems like all of this interest isn’t just some silly smokescreen to throw off other teams. It appears to be a genuine interest in the speedy receiver. For good reason, if you ask me. Scott had 899 yards and nine touchdowns on 54 catches in 2022, and posted a solid RAS of 8.3. I thought that he performed pretty well at the Scouting Combine. The athleticism matches up to the raw speed. So, the question remains: what does the tape tell us?
I was able to Frankenstein a patchwork film study together with clips from games against Alabama, Miami (OH), Indiana, and Arkansas. The common thread across all four games? It’s that signature speed that he’s known for, and it’s the myriad of ways in which Scott can kill you dead on the football field. For one, he does have straight line breakaway speed. If he gets behind you, he can be five yards behind you before you can bat an eye. But, it’s all of the ancillary things that come out of his speed that make him such a weapon. If you try to slow him down by jamming him at the line, he’s capable of simply running right by you. If you give him a generous cushion, he’s going to hit those comeback routes, make you miss, and take off down the field. If you try to play inside and force him outside, he can turn the corner on you and zip by before you’re in position to get in front of his route. He has a pretty nifty double move. I didn’t see it too often, but his sudden acceleration makes him dangerous coming out of it. If you do get in front of him and try to take away his deep speed, he’s really sudden on the in-breaking routes, in the flat, and on deeper out routes.
Cincinnati lined him up all over the field – the slot, outside, and in motion – and that’s where I think the Titans are ultimately the most interested in him. He checks their ‘speed’ and ‘versatility’ boxes. But, what I feel is being underrated is how springy he is in going up to get the ball. He may not be the tallest wide receiver, but he’s definitely got some boi-oi-oing to his game. He’s also an excellent ball tracker, displaying good focus on some of those deep balls the Bearcats dialed up to him. Does he check the Titans ‘physicality’ box? I’m not so sure. I don’t think it’s about the run blocking, because I was surprised to see how willing he was to get in there and block when called upon. There was a really nice play in the Alabama CFP semi-final where he runs his route, turns to face the quarterback, and when he realizes the ball goes to someone else, he immediately turns, shoulders up a defensive back and throws a really good block. I saw that a couple of times in the Arkansas game, too.
For me, the physicality questions come in how easily he goes down when tacklers can get their hands on him. There are some flashes of his ability to break a tackle, sure, but I felt like the first guy that could actually touch him was usually able to bring him down. While he’s willing to get in there and block, he’s not very intimidating after the catch. He’s elusive now…that’s not what I’m saying. There’s play after play on his tape of him making the first man miss and scooting on down the field. But, this could admittedly be a nitpick, and the Titans might not even care if they’re simply looking to add someone who can take the top off a defense.
The drops are also pretty concerning because it looks like more of a bad habit than just a lapse in judgment. Scott is not an ideal short yardage/red zone option. Look at the splits and they’ll show that he does the most damage in long yardage situations and on the early downs. Particularly first down, which hey – could be a good thing for a Titans team that could stand to get a little more explosive in throwing the ball on first down (shit, is that the key to this whole thing?). 497 of his 899 yards came on first down.
The Titans have the physical presence in the passing game in Treylon Burks (and even NWI) – what they don’t have is 4.2 speed. While Scott may not be a complete overall receiver, he complements the offense well and provides them with something they don’t currently have. The cost of drafting him isn’t really all that high either. I love the Tyler Lockett comparison, and if you could get that guy for a Day 2 pick, you absolutely do it. If this coaching staff is committed to overhauling the passing game, they could get incredibly creative with it. Hell, Kelly could do with Scott what he did with Brandin Cooks in Houston!
Don’t be surprised if he’s the pick at #41, or even if they trade back into the first round and pick him somewhere in the 20s. Or, hell…maybe we’ve all just taken the bait and it’s really Jalin Hyatt that they want for that speed add in the receiving room.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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