Georgia Tech WR Darren Waller NFL Draft Scouting Report

They say that 6-5, 240-pound receivers like Darren Waller don’t grow on trees, but don’t tell that to Georgia Tech.

There must be something in the water there.

Some college programs would kill for the Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas, even Stephen Hill type of players that have come out of Georgia Tech over the years, but it’s the Yellow Jackets that keep churning them out. This year, it’s Waller, who is built like a tight end and runs faster than almost any running back at this year’s Scouting Combine.

At 6-6 and 241 pounds, Waller is one of the most physically gifted players in this year’s draft class. At his size, he ran a 4.46 second 40-yard dash and had a 37-inch vertical. Athletic measurables don’t often tell the entire story, but it’s a big chunk of it for this guy, who spent the majority of his collegiate career blocking.

That’s why it’s so ironic that Georgia Tech has produced such intriguing and even — if I may — great receiver prospects for the NFL. They run the triple option offense, and the receivers are asked to run a very, very limited route tree.

We need to really study the tape for guys like Waller, and that’s exactly what we did. Let’s take a look together.

Now obviously, this is just one tape of Waller’s. That being said, I think you get a great glimpse of what he is overall as a prospect even in just this short time. You can see that he is a willing and able blocker who physically overpowers defensive backs. Check that box, because he was coached up very well by the Yellow Jackets football program in the art of blocking.

All that said, at times, he can whiff on blocks and will leave you scratching your head, thinking, “You had one job!”

Still, the prospect of moving Waller to the tight end is intriguing because of his background as a blocker, his already refined technique and the fact that he seeks out players to put a hat on. He doesn’t wait for the play to develop in his direction, he forces the issue and gets engaged with defenders, and he latches on.

When he runs routes, he’s pretty good at the ones he knows, but you have to give him a pass in this area for now. It’s going to take him time in the NFL to learn how to run the whole tree, but it might take him less time to adjust if he moves to tight end. He beats people deep and he can beat them physically in the intermediate.

Most corners can effectively cover tight ends with the size of a guy like Waller, but there aren’t many corners that can cover this guy because of his deep speed.

He is a mismatch anywhere he lines up, and he can beat you deep and make some incredible catches.

Guys this big sometimes look out of control, but Waller controls his body well, especially when he’s matched up one-on-one downfield with defensive backs. He can impose himself physically, which is something teams are going to really like about his game. He has good hands and attacks the football in the air.

I really like this guy as a WR/TE hybrid, and think he should be open to a position switch or at least adding to his repertoire at the next level to be able to play. With some refinement in technique and more development in terms of his strength, this guy is going to be a red zone nightmare and possible touchdown machine in the NFL.