The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Sage Surratt 2021 NFL Draft profile.
Background
Position: Wide Receiver
Size: 6-foot-3, 215 pounds
Class: Redshirt Junior
2019 stats: 66 receptions, 1,001 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, 15.2 yards per catch
Although the ACC did play the 2020 college football season, Surratt decided to opt out of the season. He chose to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft instead.
Surratt was a three-star recruit after being a standout football and basketball player in high school and decided to stay in-state to play for the Demon Deacons. He redshirted in his first year on campus, but was a key player in his redshirt freshman season. Surratt totaled 41 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns. Wake Forest won seven games, including the Birmingham Bowl over Memphis. Surratt was one of the best receivers in the country in 2019 before missing four games with a shoulder injury. He had 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns, as the Demon Deacons won eight games.
After two seasons of production at Wake Forest, Surratt didn’t have too much more to prove at the college level. He is currently projected to be a second or third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Strengths
Surratt has a great frame for an NFL wide receiver. He stands at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, which will give him an advantage in most cases over defensive backs. His height allows quarterbacks to throw him jump balls and he is a threat in the red zone because he can go up high and grab the ball at its highest point.
He has good strength for the position, which helps him in a few ways. Surratt can beat press coverage, as he is physical at the line of scrimmage. When defenders try to be physical with him down the field, Surratt can push off slightly and make the play. He is also able to contribute as a blocker because he has the strength to sustain blocks.
His ability to catch the football is also really solid. He doesn’t have a lot of focus drops and can be relied upon. Surratt has a big catch radius and can be seen hauling in passes that are not on target. He can also catch passes while in the middle of traffic.
Weaknesses
Surratt doesn’t have great acceleration or agility. This gave him trouble getting out of breaks in his routes, which ultimately brought about questions of whether he could separate from defenders. He was able to produce despite this because of his ability to make contested catches, but this may catch up to him in the NFL.
As a bigger receiver, Surratt’s speed will come into question. His play speed looks to be adequate, but teams will definitely be looking into how fast he runs the 40-yard dash. Most NFL corners will have the speed to match him, so a team that selects him needs to utilize his strengths rather than worry about his speed.
His run after the catch ability is limited. He can pick up some yards after the catch, but really isn’t a big threat to create big plays with the ball in his hands. The team that drafts him should take shots downfield and not rely on short routes that need yards after the catch to be productive.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Third Round Pick
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