The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the D’Wayne Eskridge 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
D’Wayne Eskridge Background
Position:Â Wide Receiver
Size:Â 5-foot-9, 190 pounds
Class:Â Redshirt Senior
2020 stats:Â 33 receptions, 768 receiving yards, 8 touchdown catches, 2 carries, 43 rushing yards
Eskridge spent five seasons in the MAC and had an amazing college career. Now he is heading to the NFL level as a part of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Out of high school, Eskridge was a three-star prospect who chose to leave the state of Indiana to play for the Western Michigan Broncos. He was able to get some playing time as a freshman and finished the season with 17 receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown. As a sophomore, he made more of an impact with 30 receptions for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Western Michigan went 6-6 on the year. His improvement continued into his junior season, when he had 38 receptions for 776 yards and three touchdowns. The Broncos went 7-6 on the year, losing the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to end the season. Eskridge played in four games before breaking his clavicle and missing the rest of the season. He returned for his redshirt senior season posting 33 catches for 768 yards and eight touchdowns in six games. The Broncos won four of their six games, but did not play in a bowl game.
After a long career at Western Michigan, Eskridge is ready for the NFL. He is currently projected to be a second to fourth round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Strengths
Eskridge’s speed will really appeal to NFL teams. He flies up and down the field and left defenders in his wake. He is able to gain separation due to his speed, as he is much faster than a lot of the defensive backs he faced in the MAC. If teams are looking for a fast slot receiver, Eskridge is a player they will target.
He is a big-play threat for a variety of reasons. His speed allows him to get behind defenses and make long catches. Eskridge can beat teams deep, but he is also able to make a lot of people miss in the open field. He is elusive and has good moves to maximize each catch he makes.
In addition to being a good receiver, Eskridge is a good kick and punt returner. He utilizes the same skills that he uses to be effective after the catch. In his last season on campus, the Broncos let Eskridge return kicks. He showed his potential with 27.5 yards per kick return and one touchdown scored.
Weaknesses
His size will be the first weakness that people point out. He stands 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, which is well under the league average for the position. NFL teams will have to use him as a slot receiver, as he isn’t big enough to win that much on the outside.
Eskridge has a limited route tree and needs to improve his route running in general. He needs to run more routes at the NFL level. While he has the ability to make crisp cuts, he needs to focus on doing it more when he is running his routes to help him create separation.
He has questionable hands for a wide receiver as well. Eskridge needs to focus and bring the ball all the way in before turning and running up the field. He has a small catch radius as is and if he drops the balls that are on target, he will be leaving a lot of production on the field.
Projected Draft Range:Â Second Round Pick-Fourth Round Pick
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