Panthers potential 2021 NFL draft targets: Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle
Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore have become a top wide receiver duo in the NFL. After Week 6, Anderson is second in the league in receiving yards and Moore is not far behind at No. 10. Curtis Samuel on the other hand has not stood out as much. Samuel has all the talent and tools required to be a standout receiver, but he simply has not produced and stayed healthy on a consistent basis for the Panthers like they had hoped.
The fact that Samuel is up for a contract extension after the season makes things interesting regarding their offseason approach. Could they re-sign him to a multi-year deal? Or could they potentially use their early round picks to draft his replacement? Let’s keep in mind that Joe Brady’s offense requires three receivers on the field most of the time and having that third receiver is key to his offensive approach. Assuming that the Panthers save the cap space and forego signing Samuel to a long-term extension, they will need to look at a replacement with a similar profile as Samuel, and one that can have immediate impact. We have already profiled LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase, so now let’s take a look at Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle.
Profile:
5-foot-10, 190 pounds
Projected 40 yard dash: 4.29 seconds
Waddle is electrifying and brings big play potential to every snap that he is on the field. To put things in perspective, some players and coaches think Waddle is faster than former Alabama WR Henry Ruggs lll. With a 4.27 second forty-yard dash, Ruggs lll is currently one of the fastest players in the NFL. It would be impressive for Waddle to break that time, but even if he falls short, you are still looking at a sub 4.30 second forty.
Waddle’s unique speed paired with toughness is what makes him special. He is not afraid at all to fight for extra yardage, go up and high point the ball in double coverage, and even throw some blocks on the outside edge in the run game. Waddle’s route running does need some sharpening, but as a whole he displays solid understanding of beating press coverage, finding open throwing lanes in zone coverage, and creating separation. He also shows a fantastic, natural ability to track the deep ball which is his most translatable skill to the NFL.
Highlights:
Waddle vs. Auburn
Waddle vs. Missouri
Waddle vs. Georgia
Waddle vs. Texas A&M
How he compares:
Waddle is certainly making his push to take the WR1 title away from Ja’Marr Chase. After the first seven weeks of the college football season, no one is likely to take that title away from Chase. However, Waddle is right on Chase’s heels as WR2 in this class. His speed and versatility makes him an extremely intriguing option for any team. Waddle can be used as an X, Y, or Z on any team he goes to. Expect to see him come off the board in the top 15 picks.
