Why Undrafted?: Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State
By Charlie Campbell, @draftcampbell
Four years ago, we started a series of articles on why certain prospects went undrafted. In that series, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out why their organizations passed on drafting a given player, and/or, what were the reasons for other teams to pass on that prospect. We got a lot of positive reader feedback about the series, so we decided to expand in the genre to investigate why some prospects slid in the draft. Three years ago, we started the Why the Slide? series, and this year it is back. Feel free to email me requests for Why the Slide? and Why Undrafted? at [email protected]. I can’t promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely will respond to the email.
The Big XII is college football’s version of the Arena League, and last fall, Iowa State joined the big boys of the conference with some big point totals while putting together an eight-win season, including an upset of Oklahoma. Lazard was one of the Cyclones’ point producers, totaling nine scores to go along with 61 receptions for 799 yards. He had seven touchdowns with 69 catches for 1,018 yards as a junior. Lazard earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, and looked like he had mid-round potential for the 2018 NFL Draft. However, Lazard went undrafted.
Sources say there were a few reasons why Lazard was not selected. In speaking to one team, they had speed concerns with Lazard. They felt that the 6-foot-4, 227-pounder wasn’t fast enough to transition to the NFL. Another team felt that dropped passes and not being a tough player is what caused them to have Lazard as an undrafted player. Lazard had one very ugly practice at the Senior Bowl with a lot of dropped passes to reinforce that concern. As a big possessional receiver, being sure-handed is a basic trait to have.
Lazard signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after he went undrafted. That was a mixed landing spot for him. On the plus side, the Jaguars lost Allen Robinson in free agency and Allen Hurns was a salary-cap casualty, so they need some difference-makers at wide receiver to emerge. Marqise Lee is going to start at one spot, while the other starter is probably going to be a competition between Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, second-round pick D.J. Chark, or pedestrian veteran Donte Moncrief. That leaves roughly one or two roster spots open for Lazard to compete for. Lazard doesn’t return punts or kicks, so that hurts his cause, and he will have to star on special teams blocking or coverage units to make the team. Lazard has a special teams body, but will have to immediately become a tougher and more tenacious football player to succeed on special teams. Perhaps the most likely path to a NFL career is Lazard playing well enough in the preseason to earn a spot on a practice squad and then work his way into a roster spot if he can improve.
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