The 2021 NFL draft is littered with intriguing and talented Wide Receiver prospects, and we start the series on the group here with Oklahoma State star wideout Tylan Wallace. When putting on the tape, Wallace jumps off the screen as a prototypical strong receiver. Let’s get this thing started.
School: Oklahoma State
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190lbs
The tape never lies, and I think that is going to be the case with Tylan Wallace. When watching Wallace, I found myself asking “is this guy really 6’0? He plays like he is 6’4.” Wallace routinely goes up and high-points the ball in the air, and when he gets his hands on the ball, he comes down with it. Wallace is a bully on the outside and will have his way with smaller corners. While he doesn’t have the speed to routinely take the top off the defense, Wallace uses his routes to get himself open. Even when he isn’t necessarily open, Wallace will catch the ball in traffic. To put it lightly, Wallace is a contested catch machine.
In terms of the route tree, Wallace will need some fine-tuning on the finer aspects of route-running. Without having game-changing speed, he will need to use his routes to gain separation at the next level. That may be what separates Wallace from the first-round receivers. I like Wallace all around, he has the hands, length, contested-catch ability and just bully-ball mentality. This is what you call a dawg-mentality type of receiver. Not too flashy, but will catch the ball on your head.
Round projection: Round 2
Best Team fits: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers
