Atlanta Falcons 2016 Scouting Report: WR Tyler Boyd

Regardless if you feel that Bears WR Alshon Jeffrey will somehow, someway make his way to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason or if you assume that Roddy White had an off-year in 2015, you should now begin to alter your thinking. The Falcons will either draft a WR, ink a deal with a free agent receiver like Travis Benjamin or Marvin Jones or in some incredible fashion, a combination of both. If they go forth and draft a receiver to compliment the great Julio Jones, there are several options for the Falcons. One option in particular is WR Tyler Boyd out of the University of Pittsburgh. Let’s take a look at his scouting report.

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WR Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh

Height: 6’2

Weight: 200

Strengths: Boyd has plenty of production in his three seasons at Pitt with career totals of: 254 catches, 3,361 yards, and 21 touchdowns. This past 2015 season, Boyd posted at least 10 catches in five of the 12 games played. Even under the tutelage of two head coaches (Paul Chryst, Pat Narduzzi), Boyd was utilized in a way to get the ball in his hands quickly, not your typical slot receiver but he is dangerous out of the slot. Excellent arm length with an exceptional catch radius. Boyd also possesses an expanded route tree with the ability to run routes such as posts, hooks, curls, drags, apply double moves, and more. He is tough to jam at the line but not due to his strength but because of his top-notch footwork. Solid football IQ with the mindset to find the open holes against zone defenses. A smooth, fluid receiver in just about every facet there is for a wide receiver.

One of Boyd’s better games in 2015 (11 catches, 103 yards, TD, 4 rushes for 50 yards). Boyd displays a lengthy arsenal with jet sweeps, deep posts, seams, bubble screens, and even a play out of the backfield.

Weaknesses: I don’t like the term but Boyd is a “possession” receiver. Boyd is not the speediest of receivers and won’t win a lot of foot races. One thing of note also is his usage at Pitt as he was asked to catch passes, rush the football on occasion, and also a kick & punt returner. Boyd has rarely created separation against corners and probably won’t separate much at the pro level. Slender frame at 200 pounds. Boyd is capable of blocking but needs to show more in that department as well.

Bottom line: As far as being NFL ready, Boyd has that box checked off. Even though he doesn’t possess the deep, explosive speed, Boyd is a mismatch at times based on his ability to produce consistently in the slot and the boundary. As you can tell, there really aren’t a lot of weaknesses to his game. At the moment, he’s a fringe first round pick and more than likely to be selected in the second. It’s pretty impressive that Boyd has posted the numbers he has with three different quarterbacks and two different head coaches during his time in college. So just imagine if he had a Pro Bowl QB (Ryan), a lethal Pro Bowl wide receiver (Julio) and an underrated Pro Bowl RB (Freeman) to take away the attention that was given to him in college by opposing defenses.