Jaylen Waddle was the best receiver in the 2021 draft
AUBURN, ALABAMA - NOVEMBER 30: Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Alabama Crimson Tide pulls in this touchdown reception against Javaris Davis #13 of the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Athleticism
Speed
Chase and Smith are both fantastic athletes, but they aren’t in the same league as Jaylen Waddle. Missing out on his pro day really set him back as some of his biggest assets are his speed, agility, and explosiveness. Luckily for him, teams were still able to get some raw data on just how fast he is.
Technology will continue to become a bigger part of the game and GPS is a popular way to gauge how fast players are on the field. According to Daniel Jeremiah, Waddle was the fastest player in the nation in 2020.
"“Waddle had the fastest GPS of any receiver in the country, your eyes aren’t deceiving you when you watch him. He’s freaky fast.” -Daniel Jeremiah via Eric Schlitt @Pride of Detroit"
So how fast exactly was Waddle and how does that compare to NFL players? Well Recruiting Analytics used advanced player tracking technology to clock Waddle at 21.9 mph during a touchdown against Georgia this past fall. That would rank second among all NFL receivers in 2020, coming in a mere .01 mph behind Tyreek Hill.
Explosiveness and power
Jaylen Waddle can fly, that isn’t a controversial take. But what really sets him apart is his ability to bring down contested catches. We all know that just being fast isn’t enough to be a great receiver. Jakeem Grant has tons of speed, but his struggles with ball tracking and contested catches have hindered his development in Miami.
In 2020, Jaylen Waddle dominated in contested catch situations and showed that he plays much larger than his listed height of 5’10”. Per PFF, he brought down 100% of his contested catch opportunities. This is one of the main things that separates Waddle from other speedy receivers, if you throw it up, he’ll find a way to go get it.