2018 NFL Draft: Courtland Sutton is draft’s most physical wide receiver
He might not have played in a major conference, but SMU wide receiver Courtland Sutton is the most physical wideout in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Courtland Sutton is entering the NFL after three dominant seasons at SMU. The 6-foot-3 enforced transitioned from defensive back to receiver, which worked out just fine. Sutton tallied 3,220 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns with the Mustangs.
Former SMU head coach Chad Morris revitalized the SMU offense, taking to the air often. That improvement would not have been possible without Sutton. He averaged more than five catches per game and 16.7 per reception in his final three seasons.
Those impressive numbers alone put Sutton in contention for a big pay day. However, Sutton added to his impressive collegiate numbers with a strong NFL Combine performance. Will it be enough to put make the imposing wideout a first round pick?
Strengths
If Sutton were two inches taller people would be calling him the next Mike Evans. That’s high praise for a prospect that didn’t play in a Power 5 conference, but the numbers at the NFL Combine speak for themselves. Here’s how the two players measured and tested:
| Mike Evans | Courtland Sutton | |
| Height | 6’5″ | 6’3″ |
| Weight | 231 pounds | 218 pounds |
| Arm | 35 1/8″ | 32 3/8″ |
| Hands | 9 5/8″ | 9 3/4″ |
| 40-yard dash | 4.53 sec | 4.54 sec |
| Bench | 12 reps | 18 reps |
| 3-cone | 7.08 sec | 6.57 sec |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.26 sec | 4.11 sec |
Sutton’s plays a physical brand of football. His size and tenacity make him an excellent target in the redzone. He’s not afraid to run into traffic and reacts with poise to contact, not shying aware from initiating it when necessary. Sutton has become known as a possession receiver, but he has plenty enough speed to make plays down the field as well.
Weaknesses
Sutton’s physicality worked well against fellow teams from the AAC, but was largely held in check against more physical defenses. He caught two passes for 27 yards and no touchdowns against Texas A&M, the only SEC defense he faced in his career. Three combined touchdowns against Baylor in 2015 and 2016, a bottom tier passing defense, won’t wow NFL evaluators.
The level of could be held against him – the last top receiver drafted from a non-Power 5 program, Corey Davis from Western Michigan, had a less than stellar rookie season. There are concerns that Sutton lacks the ceiling to be a top-flight receiver, dampening the chances of Sutton earning a first round selection.
Next: Latest first round NFL Mock Draft post Combine
Draft expectations
The 2018 NFL Draft is thin at wide receiver. Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk are the consensus top two receivers in the class, but neither posses the toughness on the outside that Sutton brings to the table. He’s a different kind of receiver, and the best big-bodied wideout in this class. He’s not falling outside the Top 50.