2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: D’Wayne Eskridge

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D’Wayne Eskridge, 5-9/190 Wide Receiver Western Michigan

D’Wayne Eskridge Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Extremely fast

Serious second-gear acceleration

Glides through the defense with easy speed

So fast he takes any angles from defenses

Threat to score and rip off long gains on any touch

Very dangerous on slants

Consistently creates separation

First-step quickness

Burst out of his breaks

Dangerous run-after-the-catch skills

Stretches a defense vertically

Deep-threat receiver

Sudden

Ready to contribute quickly

Special teams potential

Weaknesses:

Very undersized

Short

Light

Needs to develop route running

Lacks strength; can get pushed around

Too many drops

A bit straight line

Could be limited to the slot

Summary: The 2021 NFL Draft is loaded at the wide receiver position, and Eskridge is among the prospects who are going to be a nice values after the first round. The speedster Eskridge averaged a tremendous 23.1 yards per reception in 2020 with 784 yards and eight touchdowns on 34 catches. He also had large averages in 2018 (20.4) and 2017 (16.9). A clavicle injury caused Eskridge to miss the majority of the 2019 season.

There is no doubt that Eskridge is extremely fast and presents a speed mismatch for the NFL. He is a true home run hitter who is a threat to score on any touch of the ball. Eskridge has the pure speed to run past defenders and explode down the field for a long gain. He is very dangerous on slant passes to take off through the secondary and explode for a long gain. With a great burst and serious acceleration, Eskridge can generate quick separation, and he bolts downfield in a blur.



Eskridge is very undersized for the next level. He is short, light, thinly framed, and lacking strength. He could struggle with the length of NFL cornerbacks, and his small size could lead to him having issues maintaining possession through contact, and he can get pushed round to get knocked off routes. Eskridge needs to improve his hands, as he had too many drops, and he has refine his route-running for the NFL.

Eskridge could be a second- or third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He looks like a deep-threat receiver to work out of the slot and potentially contribute as a returner on special teams.



Player Comparison: T.Y. Hilton. Eskridge reminds me of a T.Y. Hilton in terms of his big-play speed and style of play. If Eskridge lands with the right team, I could see him being a good pro receiver who is similar to Hilton, although maybe not quite as good as Hilton was in his prime.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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