2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Scouting Report (Part 8) - Pat Bryant, Ricky White III, Roc Taylor, Sam Brown Jr., and Savion Williams
Hey all,
Back with another part of the WR Scouting Series! Back with another part of the WR Scouting Series! For part 8, I’ll be doing in-depth evals of Pat Bryant, Ricky White III, Roc Taylor, Sam Brown Jr., and Savion Williams.
As usual, I have a video and Spotify/Audio-only option below if anyone prefers to watch/listen to the eval.
Video Link:
Spotify/Audio-Only Link:
Pat Bryant, Illinois
Height: 6’2”; Weight: 204 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 22 years and 4 months
Class: Senior
Overall Grade: 2.62/4 (May Have a Future Role)
2024 Stats:
Receiving: 78 targets; 54 receptions; 984 yards; 10 touchdowns
Drops: 1 (Drop Rate: 1.8%)
Snap Distribution: Wide (76.8%); Slot (21.4%)
Hands: A-
Route Running: C-
Release: C
Yards After Catch Potential: C
Jump Ball/Contested Catch: A-
Body Control/Ball Tracking: A
Future role: C
RAS: C
Strengths:
Much improved hands
Nearly automatic in contested catch chances
Massive catch radius
Great red zone weapon
Good pad level to shed tackles
Areas of Improvement:
Limited wiggle after the catch
Struggles to stay clean with release
Limited separation
Often telegraphs routes
Poor cuts in routes
Comp: Quintez Cephus
Pat Bryant was a huge riser, like he is literally huge, for the 2024 season. The thing that immediately stood out was the massive improvements he made with his hands. In previous seasons, he had a lot of trouble with drops with a drop rate of 10.9% prior to the senior season. For 2024, he had just a single drop for a drop rate of about a tenth of his career total of just 1.8%. Those improved hands made him so deadly especially thanks to catching the ball with late hands and always extending his arms out to make the catch which gave the defender little chance to make a play on it. Those reliable hands and good habits led him to convert on contested catches at a very impressive rate of 69.2% for 2024 and 54.8% for his career. He also does a good job working back to the quarterback and high-pointing the ball to make himself an easier target. Also, those reliable hands let him be much more of a weapon in jump ball situations and in the red zone which showed with him setting a career high in touchdowns with 10 for 2024. He showed incredible concentration and ball tracking at times to finish some really difficult catches with some sensational last-second adjustments. He can go high and low to make a play on the ball and has good awareness to keep a foot inbounds around the sidelines. He has great timing with his attacks to maximize his long frame and can make catches at the very end of his frame to have a huge catch radius. After the catch, he has a good transition to turn upfield and has good peripheral vision and anticipation to be ready for incoming tackle attempts. He’s able to sometimes survive those tackle attempts thanks to running with good pad level and balance. He also showed some solid vision to find the best route to take after the catch. When he’s working to get the opportunity to make the catch, he does a good job at establishing leverage early in his routes with his footwork and by using his frame. Finally, he knows how to use his long arms in his release and does a good job using hand counters to help survive press.
The keyword for him against press is “survive.” While it doesn’t shut him down, he often just relied on his size to win instead of technique with his footwork. Part of the issue is that I’m not confident he has the foot speed to cleanly avoid press which will cause problems for him in the NFL. That issue already led to him having trouble separating against physical coverage which will only get worse in the NFL. In fact, I think that was a big factor for why he underperformed against quality opponents. While there are obviously a lot of things that factor into production, it is disappointing and concerning to see him consistently fail to make a significant impact in his tougher matchups. What also contributed to his separation issues was his route running. He often telegraphed his routes which better cornerbacks on quality teams sniffed out. I’d also like to see him sell his vertical more. He often went a bit slow which didn’t get the defense too panicked, especially with his lack of speed and let them feel comfortable crashing down on his in-breaking routes. He also often doesn’t get enough knee bend in his breaks to make clean cuts leading to very rounded cuts. When he did try to make more concise cuts, they often lacked great burst to generate separation. Also, he often needed an extra couple of steps to gather himself in his breaks which gave more opportunity for the defender to shut down the route. I’d also like to see him show a better eye for zone coverage as he can sometimes let himself drift out of openings and into coverage. He also unfortunately doesn’t add much after the catch. He has poor top speed and very limited wiggle in open space. So, unless he is plowing through a defender, he likely isn’t going to be picking up more than the minimum. He also unfortunately isn’t as good of a blocker as you would like for someone his size. He has a lot of struggles getting square with his target and doesn’t get much leverage due to his size and lack of knee bend. Finally, while his hands did take a massive step forward, we have just one year of great success from the perspective of drops. Maybe he has turned a new leaf and the drops are behind him. However, there have been a lot of players who have put together one good year of avoiding drops but return to bad habits. As a Packers fan, we saw this first-hand with Dontayvion Wicks after a good rookie season. So, the risk is there and he needs to prove that he won’t regress.
Bryant is a player who will get a lot of fans from his highlights. However, there is more to success in the NFL than highlights. Players need to be able to win with their route running and separation to have consistent success. Unfortunately, I’m not confident Bryant can do that. Now he is a fantastic jump ball winner and potentially the best in this entire class. So that can’t be ignored and could earn him a role with the right team. However, that is a very niche role in today’s NFL that has an emphasis on winning by getting players in space. As for a comp, I have Quintez Cephus as Bryant’s comp. Both have excellent ball skills that rival the best in their respective classes. Also, both have very reliable hands and some nice contact balance to potentially shed a tackle. Unfortunately, neither have great speed or quickness which limits them after the catch. Also, both can get leverage but often struggle to get consistent separation in part due to their lack of great athleticism and burst. Cephus was a solid contributor in the NFL prior to being stupid and betting on NFL games. That led him to swiftly be let go from the team and has now failed to get meaningful playing time. However, if he had a brain, he may have continued to be a solid contributor thanks to his ball skills. I think Bryant could contribute in a similar way but it is important that he goes to a team that still values players winning this way and a quarterback who can place the ball in a place for him to shine.
Ricky White III, UNLV
Height: 6’1”; Weight: 184 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and 2 months
Class: Redshirt Senior
Overall Grade: 2.29/4 (Needs Improvement to Contribute)
2024 Stats:
Receiving: 124 targets; 79 receptions; 1041 yards; 11 touchdowns
Drops: 7 (Drop Rate: 8.2%)
Snap Distribution: Wide (65.5%); Slot (34.5%)
Hands: C+
Route Running: C+
Release: C-
Yards After Catch Potential: B
Jump Ball/Contested Catch: B
Body Control/Ball Tracking: B+
Future role: C+
RAS: F+
Strengths:
Good eye for openings against zone
Twitchy athlete after the catch
Good adjustment ability to balls
Good effort as a blocker
Experience inside, outside, and on special teams
Areas of Improvement:
Hand technique inconsistent at times
Lack of arm extension in catch attempts
Variable success in contested catch situations
Struggles with physicality
Off the field history will need to be researched
Comp: Tony Lippett
Ricky White III has been a sleeper candidate for a lot of people dating back to his big-time performance against Michigan as a freshman in 2020 when he caught 8 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. Fast forward to today, he still has a number of traits that will earn fans. He is a very twitchy athlete in space who can make defenders miss despite what his combine performance suggests. He also has a very quick transition upfield after the catch and great peripheral vision to know where to turn to avoid a defender. His standard vision is also good as he does a good job following his blocks. He also shows a good balance of being able to be creative with the ball in his hands while still knowing when to follow his blocks. He also has solid balance despite his thin frame. Also, he is good at using his twitch and foot speed to win in his release and quickly establish leverage. He also has good stem fakes to get leverage in intermediate and deep concepts. He can also run his routes with good tempo and can adjust his speed to time his route to attack openings in the defense. He has such a great eye for openings against zone coverage and is so good at making subtle pivots to work his way into holes. Even if the opening is in the middle of the field, he isn’t afraid to absorb a hit to go for a catch. Also, he can make some tough adjustments to throws and showed good awareness around the sidelines. He also showed the ability to consistently finish catches over his shoulders. Outside of pass-catching work, he shows good effort as a blocker with good hand placement. Also, he has experience inside and out to add some versatility. His experience on special teams also adds some versatility and may be a big factor in him earning a roster spot. He blocked a whopping 4 punts in 2024. To put in perspective how ridiculous that is, the three teams tied for 2nd in the FBS all only had 3 blocked punts. So White not only led UNLV to lead the nation in blocked punts, he had more blocks than any collective team.
While his special teams contributions are impressive, he still isn’t quite there as a receiver. His hand technique is still inconsistent and can sometimes lean towards using unnecessary body catches. With his tendency to over-rely on body catches, he also had some missed opportunities in contested catch situations. Also, he has limitations as a route runner and has a somewhat limited route tree. He doesn’t have much explosion in his cuts and tends to round a lot of his cuts. His thinner frame also creates some issues as he lets defenders push him off his route path too frequently. That along with his limited athleticism led to him struggling to separate downfield. His release may also present issues with his ability to separate downfield. He was able to benefit from a lot of free releases but he did struggle the times defenders played him closer. He struggled to match their physicality and his arm counters were ineffective. As a blocker, while the effort is there, he is often too upright of a blocker which sacrifices leverage and drive. Also, his base can be a bit too narrow which affects his anchor. Finally, there is a very real chance he isn’t drafted regardless of how high teams may have him due to off-the-field concerns that led to him transferring out of Michigan State.
Ricky White III is a player I was expecting to have higher than this but his poor combine performance sunk his overall grade. That being said, even if he had a great combine, I still have concerns about his hands, release, and how he holds up against physical coverage. He was able to have these be less impactful in college thanks to getting free releases and playing against lesser athletes in the Mountain West Conference. However, things won’t be as easy in the NFL and he’ll have to prove he can step up. As for a comp, I have Tony Lippett as White’s comp. Both have a very good eye for openings against zone coverage and can make tough adjustments to throws. Also, both are twitchy athletes in their release. However, neither is great against press and struggles with physical coverage. Also, both can miss opportunities in contested catch situations and have limited ability to make plays downfield due to a lack of great athleticism. Lippett ended up converting to cornerback which was likely the best move based on what I saw of him at receiver. I don’t expect White to make that conversion but I do wonder how he will handle the transition to the NFL with better, more physical athletes.
Roc Taylor, Memphis
Height: 6’2”; Weight: 213 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 22 years and ??? months
Class: Senior
Overall Grade: 2.54/4 (May Have a Future Role)
2024 Stats:
Receiving: 107 targets; 66 receptions; 950 yards; 2 touchdowns
Drops: 4 (Drop Rate: 5.6%)
Snap Distribution: Wide (95.9%); Slot (3.6%)
Hands: B+
Route Running: C-
Release: D+
Yards After Catch Potential: C
Jump Ball/Contested Catch: B+
Body Control/Ball Tracking: A-
Future role: C+
RAS: B-
Strengths:
Great hands
Big catch radius
Good use of big frame
Potential vertical ability
Great blocker
Areas of Improvement:
Cuts are often slow developing
Struggles against press
Difficulties adjusting to physical coverage
Minimal ability to evade tackles in space
Success against better competition is questionable
Comp: Gary Jennings Jr.
Going into the season, Roc Taylor was a receiver I wanted to keep an eye on to see if he could become a riser. He has great size and has great hands to make himself a reliable target. With his great size, he’s able to wall off defenders away from the ball and does a good job trapping the ball to protect it in contested catch situations. He also consistently catches the ball with good hand technique and away from his frame to help in both contested and uncontested situations. Also, he does a good job catching balls away from his body with great body adjustments to have a huge catch radius. He also can rise through contact to still find a way to make a play on the ball. Down the field, he shows off his great ball tracking skills as he’s able to easily field catches over his shoulders and make tight catches around the sidelines. While his release needs work, he does showcase some quick foot speed at times to give the potential to improve in this area. His quick feet combined with his good vision and fluid transition after the catch let him pick up good yards after the catch if he’s given an opening. What doesn’t need to be improved much is his blocking. He blocks with great blocking technique using good leverage, good hand placement, and active feet to give consistent, quality blocks.
The difficult thing with Taylor is that he can look really great in some games but really, really struggles in others. The most notable game he struggled in was against Florida State when he made two receptions for 50 yards. That stat line doesn’t sound too bad but it was a lot worse than the box score indicates and shows a lot of his struggles that concern me. The issue that was all over that game was his struggles against physical, more gifted cornerbacks. Against Florida State, he was unable to separate for nearly the entire game which is a major red flag as the athletes will only get better in the NFL. Another part of the issue of him struggling to separate was his lack of nuance in his routes as he often just ran his routes at one speed. If he threw in some fakes, it could give him easier wins and let him beat better athletes downfield. As he is now, he can struggle to stack good athletes and can struggle to establish leverage downfield which limits his big play potential. His cuts are also too slow developing and not crisp enough to justify the extra time he takes to make his cuts. He also looked a bit iffy finding openings against zone coverage. At times, he can look like he’s thinking too much when working over the middle to find openings between defenders and also struggles to navigate around defenders blocking his route path. His trouble with contact also showed in his release. There were too many times when he just tried to power through press. Which works against lesser competition but not against better talents. Despite having quick feet and sometimes using arm counters, his feet often aren’t quick enough to keep himself clean and his arm counters are often too weak. Also, he has a limited release package which can make things predictable for corners. This was clear when watching him against better corners who did a good job guessing his move and jamming him up. What also led to him being jammed up was his delay in reacting to corners’ press. Also, his ball attacks sometimes can be a bit awkwardly timed and he will sometimes not use full arm extension which could help him finish some tight catches a bit more frequently. Finally, though he has good straight-line speed, he lacks wiggle and contact balance to survive hits when defenders get their hands on him.
While I can usually get behind prospects playing at a lower level of competition, Taylor does concern me with his struggles in 2024. Now he was very good against quality opponents in 2023 which made me more optimistic about him being a riser. However, his struggles against press and physical coverage concern me as a likely rate-limiting step for him to be a successful NFL receiver. As for a comp, I have Gary Jennings Jr. as his comp. Both have great hands and know how to use their frame to win in contested catch situations. Also, both have good straight-line speed to give them some vertical ability. Despite good straight-line speed, neither have much wiggle to escape tackles in space. Also, both can struggle with difficulties getting separation against better athletes which may present a major problem in the NFL. Jennings has been unable to make any impact in the NFL and has continued to struggle in other football leagues. Maybe Taylor will have the same struggles once he goes against better competition in the NFL. The big thing for him will be to be sure he holds up better against physical coverage and press to play like a player with the great frame he has.
Sam Brown Jr., Miami
Height: 6’2”; Weight: 200 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 22 years and 8 months
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Overall Grade: 2.21/4 (Unlikely to Contribute)
2024 Stats:
Receiving: 57 targets; 36 receptions; 509 yards; 2 touchdowns
Drops: 4 (Drop Rate: 10%)
Snap Distribution: Wide (91.2%); Slot (8.8%)
Hands: C-
Route Running: D
Release: D+
Yards After Catch Potential: B+
Jump Ball/Contested Catch: C
Body Control/Ball Tracking: C
Future role: C+
RAS: A
Strengths:
Big frame with moments of big catch radius
Good eye for openings against zone
Good athleticism after the catch
Good balance and pad level after the catch
Great blocker
Areas of Improvement:
Hands took a massive step back
Poor ball tracking skills
Rough route running
Limited release package
Difficulties stacking defender limits vertical ability
Limited release package
Comp: Seth Williams
Sam Brown Jr. was a player I had highlighted going into the season that I wanted to pay attention to since I felt he had the makings of a big riser with his transfer to Miami. At Miami, he was able to run a more diverse route tree and continued to show a good eye against zone coverage. He also did a good job working back to the quarterback, especially when the quarterback was scrambling, and using his frame to protect the ball. At times, he can also make some nice adjustments to off-target throws thanks to his big frame. Speaking of his big frame, he consistently uses his long arms to help push off coverage. He also does a good job using his long arms as a blocker. He might be one of the best blockers in this class as he does a good job getting square, establishing leverage, and using proper hand placements. Then he uses active feet and his frame and strength to get good drive on his blocks. He also had one of the best RAS scores in this class thanks to his combination of speed, size, and explosiveness. When he makes the catch, he has quick acceleration to blow past defenders. He also has a good eye for finding the best route to take thanks to his blocks. Finally, he runs with good balance and pad level to survive weak arm tackles and pick up extra yards.
Though he showed some potential after the catch, his transition after the catch can sometimes be a bit clunky. Also, he can be a bit hesitant with his moves in open space which opens him up to being taken down and missing an opportunity to pick up extra yards. He was also very hesitant making catches this year. I was hoping his hands could take a step forward but they ended up taking a huge step back with a lot of the same frustrating concentration drops and double catches. He often looks awkward making catches away from his frame which showed with his success rate in contested catch situations decreasing all the way to 18.2%. His ball tracking is just really rough in all areas of the field as he’ll often have the ball sneak up on him. His route running is also very rough which led to him having trouble getting much, if any, separation. His cuts are typically slow developing and often rounded. He also often needs extra steps to gather himself in his cuts. He also doesn’t run with much, if any, nuance in his routes which makes his routes too easy to read. That issue leads to him struggling to establish leverage in a lot of his routes. He also struggles stacking defenders which limits his ability to show off his athleticism and have a consistent impact down the field. What also led to his limited ability to help downfield was his difficulty beating physical coverage. Despite his frame and strength, he often let physical corners push him around and heavily slow down his route. Improved release technique could go a long way for him as it just isn’t there yet. His foot speed is disappointing and he often just uses a simple jab step and then tries to clear the press with his arm counter and power. Unfortunately, though he uses arm counters, they often aren’t effective.
Sam Brown Jr. is a frustrating player because he could be a really solid player with his combination of size and athleticism. Unfortunately, he just really struggles in some key areas that make it hard to trust he will make it in the NFL. Maybe a team believes they can provide the development he needs. However, it’s hard to envision that since he has had a lot of the same issues for all 5 years he’s been in school with some issues getting even worse this past year. As for a comp, I have Seth Williams as his comp. Both have very good size and athleticism to give them a lot of potential. Also, both are good at using their arms in their routes and show some moments of making good plays away from their frame. However, those moments don’t happen frequently enough and there are too many disappointing lapses in their hands. Also, both struggle to generate separation and will let physical defenders dictate the snap. Williams has basically had no impact in the NFL at this point and is already at the point where he’s bouncing around the league despite being in his mid-20s. Brown will likely be in for a similar fate unless he finally takes a step forward as a receiver.
Savion Williams, TCU
Height: 6’4”; Weight: 222 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 22 years and 7 months
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Overall Grade: 2.83/4 (Good Role Player)
2024 Stats:
Receiving: 83 targets; 60 receptions; 611 yards; 6 touchdowns
Drops: 8 (Drop Rate: 11.8%)
Snap Distribution: Wide (70.9%); Slot (22.9%)
Hands: C+
Route Running: D
Release: B
Yards After Catch Potential: B+
Jump Ball/Contested Catch: B+
Body Control/Ball Tracking: B+
Future role: C+
RAS: A-
Strengths:
Very wide catch radius
Can make impressive plays on 50/50 chances
Yards after the catch potential
Better than expected release
Quick feet could help him develop in other areas
Areas of Improvement:
Poor technique and cuts in route running
Limited route tree
Difficulties establishing leverage
Physical coverage gives him a lot of trouble
Lapses in hand technique
Comp: Terrelle Pryor Sr.
Savion Williams is a player whose hype has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Prior to the combine, he was a favorite sleeper candidate for many people. However, he didn’t have as great of a combine as some expected which has caused him to fall in rankings. While I was never that big of a fan of him going into the combine, I will say that there is still a lot of potential that people are too quickly dismissing. He has a great mix of athleticism and size at 6’4” and 222 pounds. He can pick up yards with his good vision whether it's from the wildcat or as a standard pass catcher. Also, his ability to play from the backfield or standard receiver spots shows a lot of versatility. He does a great job following his blocks and even showed some ability to hug his blocks to get the most out of their efforts. Once he makes the catch, he has a very quick transition upfield and has good acceleration to quickly pick up yards. If he isn’t able to outrace his defender, he has good contact balance and pad level to help him stay on his feet. I was also surprised by his release ability. There are some wide receivers in this class who are frustrating to watch because they don’t realize they have long arms to help keep them clean. Williams though knows he has long arms and uses them well to win with counters. He is also good at using his arms to make the initial move and also does a good job anticipating the defender to make them miss with his quick feet. He has some really nice timing and quickness with his feet to make him underrated with his release. What may not be underrated but still definitely a strength is his ability to use his size to win 50/50 balls. He has a great eye for 50/50 balls and he does a good job high-pointing the ball and rising above defenders thanks to his size. There were also great flashes of some really impressive, fluid adjustments he made to throws by rising up or going down low. Also, while he does have some stuff to clean up with his hands, I do think it’s worth noting that 3 of his 8 drops came in the season opener against Stanford. So, if we removed that game, his drop rate would have been 9.3% which is a bit more palatable. Also, he consistently caught the ball away from his body which was good to see for a receiver with such long arms. That arm extension helped him be very successful in converting contested catches with a success rate of 88.9% for 2024 and 75% in his career. So while his hand technique could use some work, his hands are very strong to finish catches. He also needs some work in his route running technique but he does a good job selling his vertical to then cut back to the quarterback for an easy competition. Finally, while he isn’t the most successful blocker, he does block with a good base and has some knee bend to get more leverage at this size.
While there are undoubtedly some really exciting traits, his lack of feel as a route runner really scares me. He ran a very limited route tree and looked a bit awkward at times running his routes since I think he was thinking way too much. That thinking caused him to be a bit slower in his approach which often led to him not being an available option for the quarterback. In his routes, I was disappointed with the lack of deception from a player with his experience as he didn’t have any good use of tempo, head fakes, or anything else to help him get open. His cuts didn’t help him get open as they were very rounded and invited defenders to help get back in the play. Also, he seemed to have trouble finding openings against zone coverage and would often lead himself into trouble. Physical coverage also gave him a lot of issues as he let it affect his route too much. That wouldn’t be too much of an issue but he has a lot of trouble avoiding contact on his routes which can often take him out of plays. What also made him frustrating at times to watch were the times he would get past his man with his release but then immediately give up any leverage he had and cover himself. For his release, while it was a pleasant surprise, it didn’t seem overly diverse so I have concerns about how reproducible this would be on more snaps when he isn’t hidden from press. I even saw some issues with more reps later in games when he would sometimes resort to running around the defender too much, altering his path and the timing of the route too much. Also, his hands need a lot of improvement to be a more regular contributor. He has a lot of lapses with hand technique and doesn’t always follow the ball to his hands if defenders are close. That led to a lot of drops and double catches which were all over his film. I think part of the issue was a ball tracking issue as he seemed to be slow getting his hands up even when he had ample time to make a play on the ball. Also, it showed sometimes with his attacks as he could sometimes mistime his attacks on balls. Finally, he is still pretty rough as a blocker with poor hand technique and anchor which let defenders get past him too frequently.
Williams has a lot of holes in his route running and hands. The problem with that is that these are things receivers are supposed to be good at. So, those major holes in what are supposed to be the foundation of the position make him a troubling sell to teams. However, he has some really good ball skills, athleticism, and release potential to make him an easier sell. I’m not certain if a team could turn Williams into a top receiver for a team. However, I also don’t think it’s impossible given the potential he has. For whatever it’s worth, that already makes him a more interesting player than a lot of players with similar grades as him since they often look more like clear contributors. As for a comp, I have Terrelle Pryor Sr. Both are raw players but have a lot of impressive traits that may interest a team. Also, both have good ball skills and athleticism to give them a leg up on some more limited players. However, both struggle with hand technique and are very behind as pass catchers. Also, both have really poor fundamentals as route runners that need to be improved in the NFL. It took Pryor a few years, but he managed to have a 1000-yard season in his final season in Cleveland. Similar to Pryor, I think Williams could eventually be a big-time contributor if he is given time to develop and goes to a favorable situation to get playing time.