Dede Westbrook NFL Draft 2017: Scouting Report for Jaguars' Pick

Measurables

Height	Weight	40 Time	Arm Length	Hand Size	3-Cone
5'11 5/8"	178 lbs	4.39s	30 5/8"	9"	7.20s

   

POSITIVES

Dede Westbrook shows the ability to catch the ball in various ways. He has soft hands, catching the ball away from his body, but he also has the ability to catch amidst contact and tracks the ball well over his shoulder. His route running is special, as he can get in and out of breaks extremely well, and he cuts on a dime. He has top-end speed, and his acceleration gets him to his top gear quicker than most defenders can handle. He is not just a deep threat; he showed an ability to run multiple routes, winning over the middle or down the field. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he is elusive, forcing missed tackles and turning on the jets to run past defenders. Westbrook also shows great body control on passes and works the sidelines masterfully. Westbrook came on strong in his senior season as he won the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver and was a Heisman finalist. He finished the season with 80 catches for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also brings return ability, averaging 27.1 yards per kick return and 16.2 yards per punt return, scoring one touchdown.

                

NEGATIVES

Before any team feels comfortable drafting Westbrook, it must first be comfortable with his off-field issues. He was arrested twice on misdemeanor family violence complaints, but no charges stuck. Westbrook has raised questions about his play on the field as well. He has a small frame at 5'11 ⅝" and just 178 pounds. The frame will have teams thinking about moving him inside to slot receiver. Westbrook proved to be very effective outside at Oklahoma, but he rarely saw press coverage. When he did, he struggled to get off it, lacking the strength to break free. He will need to improve in this area if he is to ever play outside. With his weight, he also has teams worried about his long-term durability. While he has never missed time due to injury, the long, lean frame type historically has had injury issues in the NFL.  

     

PRO COMPARISON: Travis Benjamin, Los Angeles Chargers

FINAL GRADE: 5.59/9.00 (Character Risk—Round 6)

 

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